Top 5 Batters With Most 50-Plus Scores In Tests

Jatin

Joe Root [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com]Joe Root [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com]

England batter, Joe Root just cracked another milestone and this one is massive. With his gritty half-century in the fourth Test against India in Manchester, the English maestro went past two absolute legends: Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis for the most 50+ scores in Test cricket.

Root now has 104 scores of 50 or more, sitting pretty at No. 2 in the all-time list. And he is still playing, still hungry and the top of this coveted list isn’t too far away.

Let’s take a look at the top 5 batters with the most 50+ scores in Test history

5. Rahul Dravid: 99

If there was ever a batter born to play red-ball cricket, it was Rahul Dravid. He was a wall, literally and figuratively. Bowlers would throw the kitchen sink at him but he stood tall like a fortress. With 99 scores of 50-plus in just 164 Tests, Dravid wasn’t flashy, but he was ridiculously consistent.

His calm presence at the crease gave India solidity, especially overseas. From Adelaide to Headingley, Dravid’s bat did the talking when others fell like dominoes. 13,288 runs at an average over 52, not too shabby for a guy who wasn’t always in the limelight.

4. Jacques Kallis: 103

Jacques Kallis was a beast. He wasn’t just South Africa’s best batter, he was their rock, their engine and their go-to man when the chips were down. 103 fifty-plus scores, 45 hundreds and 58 fifties in 166 Tests: those numbers scream greatness.

And let’s not forget, he was a frontline bowler too. Kallis was the full package and his ability to anchor innings and shift gears when needed made him a nightmare for bowlers. He could grind it out on Day 1 or smash you to bits on Day 5. A true Test titan.

3. Ricky Ponting: 103

Talk about aura and Ricky Ponting had it in truckloads. When he walked in, fielders spread out automatically. The Aussie skipper had a swagger that matched his numbers. 103 scores of 50-plus (41 hundreds and 62 fifties) in 168 matches and he did it against the best attacks in the world from Warne to Murali to Steyn.

His pull shot was a thing of beauty and his hunger for runs never dipped. What made him special was his knack for stepping up in big moments. World Cups, Ashes, away tours, Ponting always brought his A-game. A leader, a run-machine and one of the most feared batters ever.

2. Joe Root: 104

The newest entrant to this elite club and he is still writing his story. Joe Root, with his 104th 50+ score, just leapfrogged two legends. He has played 157 Tests so far and has already racked up 13335 runs and counting. His numbers are almost identical to the greats above him, but what sets him apart is the way he has carried the England batting lineup in tough times.

Post-Cook and pre-Bazball, Root was often the lone warrior. Whether it is spinning tracks in India or green tops in New Zealand, he has adapted like a chameleon. And now, with Ben Stokes at the helm, Root is enjoying a second wind. He is not done yet and with Sachin’s record in sight, he might just pull off the impossible.

1. Sachin Tendulkar: 119

No surprises here. At the top of the pile sits the Master Blaster himself: Sachin Tendulkar. 119 scores of 50 or more, 51 centuries, 68 fifties and almost 16,000 Test runs in 200 matches, the numbers are god-tier. But Sachin wasn’t just about stats, he was a feeling. He carried the hopes of a billion fans every time he walked out.

The straight drive, the paddle sweep, the uppercut, everything had a touch of genius. He played every great bowler of his era and came out on top more often than not. His hunger, discipline and love for the game made him immortal. And till today, no one has come close to matching his consistency over two decades.