Test cricket is played between international cricket teams who are Full Members of the International Cricket Council (ICC).[1] Unlike One Day Internationals, Test matches consist of two innings per team, with no limit in the number of overs.[2] Test cricket is first-class cricket, so statistics and records set in Test matches are also counted toward first-class records. The duration of Tests, currently limited to five days, has varied through Test history, ranging from three days to timeless matches.[3][4] The earliest match now recognised as a Test was played between England and Australia in March 1877;[5] since then there have been over 2,000 Tests played by 13 teams. The frequency of Tests has steadily increased partly because of the increase in the number of Test-playing countries, and partly as cricket boards seek to maximise their revenue.[6]
Donald Bradman, holder of several Test batting records including highest batting averageSachin Tendulkar is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test cricketMuttiah Muralitharan is the highest wicket-taker in Test cricketGeorge Lohmann is the holder of best bowling average in Test cricket
Cricket is, by its nature, capable of generating large numbers of records and statistics.[7] This list details the most significant team and individual records in Test cricket.
As of February 2023[update], the most successful team in Test cricket, in terms of both wins and win percentage, is Australia, having won 404 of their 851 Tests (47.47%). Excluding teams who have only played a small number of Tests, the least successful team are Bangladesh.
Australian Donald Bradman, widely considered the greatest batsman of all time,[8][9] holds several personal and partnership records. He scored the most runs in a series, has the most double centuries and was a part of the record 5th wicket partnership. His most significant record is his batting average of 99.94. One of cricket's most famous statistics,[10][11] it still stands almost 40 runs higher than any other batsman's career average. Don Bradman is the only player in the world to have scored 5000 runs against a single opposition: 5028 runs against England.[12]
In the Manchester Test of 1956, England spin bowlerJim Laker took 19 wickets for 90 runs (19–90) which set not only the Test record for best match figures but also the first-class one.[13] In taking 10–53 in the second innings he became the first bowler to capture ten wickets in a Test match innings, and his analysis remains the best innings figures. Indian leg spinnerAnil Kumble was the second bowler to take 10 wickets in an innings, claiming 10–74 against Pakistan in 1999.[14] In December 2021, New Zealand spinner, Ajaz Patel became the third bowler to take 10 wickets in an innings.[15]West Indies batsman Brian Lara has the highest individual score in Test cricket: he scored 400 not out against England in 2004 to surpass the innings of 380 by Matthew Hayden six months earlier. Lara had held the record before Hayden, with a score of 375 against England 10 years earlier.[16] Pakistan's Misbah-ul-Haq holds the record of the fastest Test half century, scoring 50 runs from 21 balls. The record for the fastest Test century is held by New Zealand's Brendon McCullum, who scored 100 runs from 54 balls in his final Test match.
The trend of countries playing more Test matches in the modern era means that the aggregate lists are dominated by modern players. Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan became the highest Test wicket-taker in December 2007, when he passed Shane Warne's total of 708 wickets.[17] Within a year, the equivalent batting record of highest run-scorer had also changed hands: Sachin Tendulkar surpassed the tally of 11,953 runs by Brian Lara.[18] The record for most dismissals by a wicket-keeper is held by Mark Boucher of South Africa[19] while the record for most catches by a fielder is held by Rahul Dravid.[20]
In general the top five are listed in each category (except when there is a tie for the last place among the five, when all the tied record holders are noted).
Listing notation
Team notation
(300–3) indicates that a team scored 300 runs for three wickets and the innings was closed, either due to a successful run chase or if no playing time remained
(300–3 d) indicates that a team scored 300 runs for three wickets, and declared its innings closed
(300) indicates that a team scored 300 runs and was all out
Batting notation
(100) indicates that a batsman scored 100 runs and was out
(100*) indicates that a batsman scored 100 runs and was not out
Bowling notation
(5–100) indicates that a bowler has captured 5 wickets while conceding 100 runs
Currently playing
† indicates a current Test cricketer
Seasons
Domestic cricket seasons in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and the West Indies may span two calendar years, and are by convention said to be played in (e.g.) "2008–09". A cricket season in England is described as a single year. e.g. "2009". An international Test series may be for a much shorter duration, and Cricinfo treats this issue by stating "any series or matches which began between May and September of any given year will appear in the relevant single year season and any that began between October and April will appear in the relevant cross-year season".[21] In the record tables, a two-year span generally indicates that the record was set within a domestic season in one of the above named countries.
Note: If the qualification is removed, the record Test batting average is Australian Kurtis Patterson's 144.00; Patterson made scores of 30 and 114 not out in his only two Test innings.[40] A very few one-Test wonders have never been dismissed, leaving them without a defined Test batting average. Notable players who played only a single Test innings without a dismissal are Stuart Law (54*, innings declared) and Andy Lloyd (10*, retired hurt).[41][42]
Note: Misbah's is also the fastest in minutes, at 24 minutes, with Ashraful in second place on 27. Some records credit Victor Trumper with a 22-minute half-century against South Africa at Johannesburg in 1902-3, but this only counted the time he was on strike: the total time for his fifty is recorded as 45 minutes. Some sources also credit Ian Botham with a 26-ball half-century against India at Delhi in 1981-2, but this is a printing error: the scorecard records 28 balls.
^Allen Hill took the first Test wicket, but only two in the First Test match. Alfred Shaw (3/51 & 5/35) and Tom Kendall (1/54 & 7/55) both took eight wickets, but as Australia batted first Shaw was the first to take five wickets in an innings and the first to take eight Test wickets. Kendall overtook him in the Second Test and Shaw subsequently increased his total to 12 wickets (15.35) in seven Tests[65]
^Johnny Briggs equalled Fred Spofforth's record of 94 Test wickets on 29 December 1894 in the Second Test at Melbourne, as did Charles Turner two days later. Briggs overtook Turner and Spofforth in the Third Test at Adelaide, which Turner missed, and became the first man to claim 100 Test wickets on 1 February 1895 in the Fourth Test at Sydney. Turner became the second three days later and ended with a total of 101 wickets (16.53) in 17 Tests[66][67]
^Johnny Briggs equalled George Lohmann's record of 112 Test wickets on 3 January 1898 in the Second Test at Melbourne and overtook him in the next match at Adelaide.
^Fred Trueman overtook Brian Statham's then record of 242 Test wickets and Statham subsequently increased his total to 252 wickets (24.84) in 70 Tests
^Richard Hadlee overtook Ian Botham's then record of 373 Test wickets and Botham subsequently increased his total to 383 wickets (28.40) in 102 Tests
^ abShane Warne overtook Muttiah Muralitharan's then record of 532 Test wickets and Muralitharan subsequently increased his total to 800 wickets (22.72) in 133 Tests[68]
Fastest to multiples of 50 wickets
Ravichandran Ashwin holds world record for quickest to reach 250, 300 and 350 Test wickets.
Note: If the qualification is removed, the best career average record is at 0.00 runs per wicket (i.e. no runs were conceded). This record is shared by Englishmen A N Hornby, Wilf Barber and New Zealander, Bruce Murray who took one wicket without conceding a run[89]
^John Ferris was one of a few cricketers to play Test cricket for more than one country. He played in eight Tests for Australia from 1886–87 and a single Test for England in South Africa in 1891–92.[87]
^ abJim Laker achieved figures of 9-37 and 10-53 in the same Test match in 1956 against Australia at Old Trafford, in first and second innings respectively.[94]
Best figures in an innings – progression of record
Notes: Alan Davidson (Australia), in the tied 1st Test at Brisbane against the West Indies in 1960-61, was the first man to score 100 runs and take 10 wickets in a match (and is the only other player to achieve this so far), but without a century: his two scores with the bat were 44 and 80, in addition to 11 wickets (5/135 and 6/87).
Betty Wilson was the first player to do it in 1958. She scored 100 and was 11/18. Enid Bakewell made this milestone the year before Botham.[105]
^ abBotham and Imran only batted once in their matches.
^Shakib batted twice in his match, but only scored 6 in the other innings.
Most 5 wickets in an innings and a century in the same Test match
An asterisk (*) signifies an unbroken partnership (i.e. neither of the batsmen was dismissed before either the end of the allotted overs or the required score being reached).
An asterisk (*) signifies an unbroken partnership (i.e. neither of the batsmen was dismissed before either the end of the allotted overs or the required score being reached).
^Williamson, Martin (14 March 2009). "Calling time on eternity". Cricinfo. ESPN. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
Afghanistan
Australia
Bangladesh
England
India
Ireland
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies
Zimbabwe
South Africa (205 & 171)
South Africa (113 & 242)
South Africa (v 
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