Best Test Batting Averages of All Time — The Complete Leaderboard

Best Test Batting Averages of All Time

A batting average in Test cricket is the purest measure of consistency the sport has ever produced. Unlike limited-overs formats where strike rate and boundary-hitting dominate the conversation, a Test average distils a career into a single number: how many runs did a batter score, on average, before being dismissed? The higher the number, the harder the batter was to remove.

From the Cricsheet ball-by-ball archive — the most granular cricket dataset available — we rank the batters who have maintained the highest Test averages across a minimum qualification of 20 dismissals.

The All-Time Leaderboard

Qualification: minimum 20 dismissals. Source: CricMind global cricket database (Cricsheet ball-by-ball archive).

The Names at the Top

Brian Lara sits atop this ranking with a breathtaking average of 67.87 across the matches in the archive. The Trinidadian left-hander, widely regarded as one of the most gifted stroke-makers in the history of cricket, combined elegance with an insatiable appetite for big scores. His 2,036 runs in 17 matches reflect a player who, when he batted, made every innings count.

Sri Lanka's PHKD Mendis claims second place at 62.67. His 1,316 runs in 14 matches speak to a remarkable consistency per innings — a batter who converted starts into substantial contributions at an elite rate.

Australia's Adam Voges rounds out the top three at 61.88. Often overlooked in broader discussions about Australian batting greats, Voges compiled 1,485 runs in 19 matches with an extraordinary ability to remain unbeaten.

Volume and Consistency — Where They Diverge

The leaderboard reveals a fascinating tension between peak average and career volume. The top three — Lara (17 matches), Mendis (14), and Voges (19) — achieved their averages across relatively small sample sizes. Their numbers are no less real, but the question of sustaining such rates over 100+ matches hangs in the air.

Contrast them with the volume merchants further down. SPD Smith sits sixth with 56.06, but across 122 matches and 10,763 runs — one of the largest run tallies in Test history. JE Root at 17th place has amassed a staggering 13,943 runs over 163 matches, maintaining an average above 50 across one of the longest Test careers in English cricket. KS Williamson at eighth has 9,497 runs in 109 matches.

The players who combine a 50+ average with 7,000+ runs represent the true elite: Sangakkara (8,489), Smith (10,763), Williamson (9,497), Kallis (7,405), Younis Khan (7,135), Root (13,943), AB de Villiers (8,182), and Jayawardene (6,615). These eight names are the gold standard of Test batting — averaging above 50 while producing five-figure or near-five-figure career tallies.

The All-Rounders and the Specialists

Jacques Kallis at ninth (54.05 from 7,405 runs) deserves special mention. Kallis achieved this average while simultaneously being one of the finest medium-fast bowlers in Test history. His runs came alongside a bowling workload that would have been a full career for most players. No other batter on this list carried a comparable dual burden.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul at fifth (57.10) is perhaps the most underrated name in the top ten. The Guyanese left-hander played 75 matches for a West Indies side that was often in decline, yet maintained an average that places him above Smith, Williamson, and Kallis. Chanderpaul's unorthodox crab-like stance and impenetrable defence made him one of the hardest batters to dismiss across two decades of Test cricket.

The Modern Generation

England's Harry Brook at seventh (54.79 from 35 matches) and New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra at twentieth (49.91 from 21 matches) represent the current generation pushing into this elite territory. Brook's 3,178 runs have arrived at a strike rate that older generations would find remarkable — an attacking batter maintaining a mid-50s average. Ravindra, a left-handed all-rounder, has burst onto the international scene and already sits on the fringes of the all-time top 20.

The question for both is longevity. Can they sustain these numbers across 80, 100, or 150 matches? History suggests most averages regress slightly as bowlers decode a batter's weaknesses and the grind of touring takes its toll. Smith's average, for example, has settled from peaks above 60 into the mid-50s over 122 matches — still extraordinary, but a reminder that sustaining a 55+ average across a full career is one of the hardest feats in sport.

The Sri Lankan Golden Era

Three Sri Lankans feature in the top 20: Sangakkara (4th), Mendis (2nd), and Jayawardene (18th), with Samaraweera (14th) adding a fourth from the island nation. Sri Lanka's production of elite Test batters during the 2000s and 2010s remains one of the great stories in Test cricket history. Sangakkara's 8,489 runs at 60.64 anchor the group, but even Samaraweera's underappreciated 3,890 runs at 51.18 reflect the depth of Sri Lankan batting talent during that era.

The 50-Average Club

Of the 20 batters listed, 19 average above 50.00 — the traditional benchmark for greatness in Test cricket. Ravindra, at 49.91, sits agonisingly close. Crossing the 50 barrier has historically separated the very good from the truly great, and every batter in the top 15 has cleared it comfortably.

The significance of a 50+ career average becomes clearer when considering how many batters have played Test cricket. Of the thousands who have represented their countries in the longest format, fewer than 60 have maintained a career average above 50 across a meaningful sample. It is a club with an extremely exclusive membership.

What the Numbers Reveal

This leaderboard, drawn from the comprehensive Cricsheet ball-by-ball archive, captures something essential about Test batting. The format demands patience, technique, concentration, and the mental fortitude to bat for hours and days. An average above 50 means that, on balance, a batter produced a half-century contribution every time they walked to the crease.

An average above 60 — achieved by only three batters on this list — means they averaged a significant innings nearly every time. These are the numbers that define legends.

FAQ

Who has the highest Test batting average of all time?

BC Lara holds the highest Test batting average in the Cricsheet archive at 67.87, compiled across 17 matches with 2,036 runs. His extraordinary consistency per dismissal places him at the pinnacle of this ranking.

What is a good batting average in Test cricket?

A Test batting average above 40 is considered strong at international level. An average above 50 places a batter among the all-time greats, and an average above 55 is exceptional. Only a handful of batters in the history of the sport have sustained averages above 60.

Which active players have the best Test batting averages?

Among active players, SPD Smith (56.06), HC Brook (54.79), KS Williamson (54.58), JE Root (50.89), and R Ravindra (49.91) rank highest. Smith and Root have the largest run tallies, while Brook and Ravindra are earlier in their careers.

How many batters have averaged over 50 in Test cricket?

Fewer than 60 batters in the entire history of Test cricket have maintained a career average above 50 across a substantial number of innings. It remains one of the most exclusive statistical benchmarks in the sport.