Cricket
Best No.3 in Test Cricket: Bradman, Ponting, Dravid Ranked
Batting at No.3 in Test cricket is one of the most important, but equally challenging positions in the line-up. Every good Test side have reliable anchors adept at rebuilding an innings or providing damage limitation if one of the openers falls early. To flourish at No.3, batters must be mentally attuned to the match situation, and they will often be pillars of calm when a potential crisis threatens to engulf the side. The top Test batsmen in the No.3 position will be blessed with excellent technique, seeing off seam and spin bowlers, and boast immense powers of concentration. Among the legendary players reviewed are Donald Bradman, Ricky Ponting, and Rahul Dravid.
Rahul Dravid /Getty Images
SportsBoom has scrutinised the records of the most iconic players, using a trusted methodology to establish the best No.3 in Test cricket.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Greatest No.3 Test Batsman
To evaluate Test cricket’s best first-drop batsman, we combined a thorough statistical analysis of their performances with expert and media perception to provide a comprehensive ranking. The ‘SB Market Index’ is our robust rating system where results were transparent and devoid of single-source opinions.
Industry Insights
A curated analysis from the top 10 cricketing and sports media sources measures how prominently each player is featured in discussions of the “greatest No.3 Test batsmen of all time”.
| Source Name | KC Sangakkara | R Dravid | RT Ponting | KS Williamson | HM Amla | CA Pujara | Azhar Ali | DG Bradman | RB Richardson | RB Kanhai |
| ESPNcricinfo – “The Greatest No.3 feature” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wisden – “All-Time Test World XI” (No.3 spot) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ICC Hall of Fame – Player Profiles (highlighting role) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cricbuzz – “Debating the Best No.3s” article | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| The Cricketer – “Top 10 First-Drop Batsmen” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sportskeeda – “5 Greatest No.3 Batsmen in Test history” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cricket.com.au – Australian- focused “Best No.3” debate | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Reddit r/Cricket – “All-Time XI” polls (No.3) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| TalkSPORT – “Cricket’s Pantheon: The No.3s” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sky Sports Cricket – “Masterclass: The No.3” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Mentions | 8 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
SB Score
| Player | Inns | Runs | 100s | Avg | SB Score |
| DG Bradman | 56 | 5078 | 20 | 103.63 | 1.000 |
| KC Sangakkara | 207 | 11679 | 37 | 60.83 | 0.916 |
| KS Williamson | 166 | 8658 | 31 | 57.72 | 0.824 |
| RT Ponting | 196 | 9904 | 32 | 56.27 | 0.824 |
| R Dravid | 219 | 10524 | 28 | 52.88 | 0.792 |
| RB Kanhai | 90 | 4689 | 13 | 52.69 | 0.575 |
| HM Amla | 174 | 7933 | 25 | 49.96 | 0.672 |
| RB Richardson | 107 | 4711 | 14 | 47.11 | 0.540 |
| CA Pujara | 155 | 6529 | 18 | 44.41 | 0.548 |
| Azhar Ali | 132 | 5342 | 15 | 42.74 | 0.490 |
The score used to calculate the greatest number three batsman in Tests was based on three key metrics: Batting Average (40% weightage), Number of Centuries (30% weightage), and Total Runs Scored (30% weightage).
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | DG Bradman | 1.000 | 10 | 8.200 |
| 2 | R Dravid | 0.792 | 9 | 7.358 |
| 3 | RT Ponting | 0.824 | 9 | 7.365 |
| 4 | KC Sangakkara | 0.916 | 8 | 6.583 |
| 5 | KS Williamson | 0.824 | 1 | 0.965 |
| 6 | RB Kanhai | 0.575 | 0 | 0.115 |
| 7 | HM Amla | 0.672 | 0 | 0.134 |
| 8 | CA Pujara | 0.548 | 0 | 0.110 |
| 9 | RB Richardson | 0.540 | 0 | 0.108 |
| 10 | Azhar Ali | 0.490 | 0 | 0.098 |
The Don: Bradman’s Unassailable Legacy
One of the best cricketers in the history of the game, Donald Bradman’s average at No.3 was astronomical (103.83). He had an insatiable appetite for scoring runs, and no player notched up more double centuries than Bradman, who is famously remembered for his heroics during the 1936/37 Ashes series.
Driven by his perfect ‘SB Score’ and ‘Industry Insight’ score, Bradman was untouchable, topping our rankings.
The “Wall” and “Punter”: Dravid and Ponting Lead the Mortals
Among the mere mortals is Rahul Dravid “The Wall”, but it is an apt description. While Sachin Tendulkar is perceived as the “God of cricket”, Dravid’s yogic-like mental concentration saw him produce some marathon knocks during his career, including a 270 for India against Pakistan in 2004. Dravid’s technique was more classical, but he was the cement that held the glue together.
Pipped in this tight race was one of Australia’s greatest ever batsmen. Renowned for his masterful cover drive, Ricky Ponting’s 32 centuries at No.3 were an excellent tally, and he was prolific at the crease. Like Dravid, Ponting received near-perfect backing from the industry experts and his excellent ‘SB Score’ placed him high in our rankings.
Conclusion on Test Cricket’s Premier Batting Position
In summary, comparing Bradman vs Ponting and Ponting vs Dravid is a fascinating exercise. But judged on pure stats and expert sentiment, our comprehensive model revealed Bradman was the undisputed best.
Although Bradman was a pioneering No.3 batsman, Dravid, Ponting, and Sangakkara reshaped the role in the modern era. Their innate talents, combined with their pure grit, mean they will continue to glean favourable opinions from the cricketing fraternity.
The Silken Touch: Kumar Sangakkara’s Class
Silky smooth and one of Test’s southpaw kings, Kumar Sangakkara’s stats were sensational. The cut and pull came naturally to Sangakkara, who served Sri Lanka with distinction.
With the highest volume of runs on this list, Sangakkara was a natural at No.3, underlying his incredible consistency. He ranked second for ‘SB Score’ based on his sublime stats, and he returned a strong ‘Industry Insight’ score.
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.