Cricket
Who is the Best Test Batsman of the Modern Era (Post-2000)?
Test cricket is perceived as the ultimate yardstick of a batsman’s ability at the crease. It requires a mix of patience and the highest levels of concentration to determine when to be sensible and leave a delivery and when to be aggressive and pick up runs. It is as much about mental stamina as it is about physical strength.
Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka in action//Getty Images
The debate over the best batsman in Test cricket is a longstanding one that has raged for years. Some, for example, would claim Donald Bradman is the GOAT of cricket, and he boasted an extraordinary average of 99.94. However, to make things a bit more current, we have explored the top post-2000 batsmen instead.
Of course, comparing between different eras can be a problematic exercise, especially as the careers of certain batsmen overlapped with the 2000s, including Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, and Jacques Kallis.
But who truly stands out based purely on statistical output? At SportsBoom, we have unveiled the top 10 batting giants and our analysis includes using a weighted scoring system across runs, averages, and centuries to paint a picture of who stands tallest in modern era cricket. Let the statistical battle commence!
The Contenders: Key Career Test stats
Although Sachin Tendulkar puts forward a strong claim to be the god of cricket, his career started in 1989 and he was at the peak of his powers during the 1990s.
Tendulkar competed in the international scene in the 2000s before hanging up his bat in 2013. Whereas, Ricky Ponting, who is deemed to be one of the greatest cricket captains of all time, excelled across all formats, but his Test career started in 1995.
For this guide, we have put through the raw full career stats, and the following batsmen who lit up the Test area during the early 2000s, which is when they were active. We’ve cross-referenced and checked the stats across multiple sources, so here is our table illustrating three metrics: runs, Test average, and centuries scored.
Test Cricket Ranking Performance Table
| Rank | Player | Runs | Average | 100s |
| 1 | JE Root (ENG) | 12972 | 50.87 | 36 |
| 2 | AN Cook (ENG) | 12472 | 45.35 | 33 |
| 3 | KC Sangakkara (SL) | 12400 | 57.40 | 38 |
| 4 | SPD Smith (AUS) | 10271 | 56.74 | 36 |
| 5 | Younis Khan (PAK) | 10099 | 52.05 | 34 |
| 6 | HM Amla (SA) | 9282 | 46.64 | 28 |
| 7 | KS Williamson (NZ) | 9276 | 54.88 | 33 |
| 8 | GC Smith (ICC/SA) | 9265 | 48.25 | 27 |
| 9 | V Kohli (IND) | 9230 | 46.85 | 30 |
| 10 | DA Warner (AUS) | 8786 | 44.59 | 26 |
Note: We checked and put through the above numbers through some of the most authoritative cricket sources. Some sites were more comprehensive than others. ESPNcricinfo and MyKhel, for example, included the highest scores when revealing the cricket run machines, while Wisden took a more basic approach, highlighting just the runs scored, matches, and innings contributed.
Ranking Methodology Explained
We pinpointed three core batting statistics for which to measure the top batsmen. We have explained why they were chosen and highlighted the individual weightings too to put things into context:
Runs – This is the ultimate currency to carry out an effective cricket stats comparison. The volume of runs scored always provokes interest, as that is what fans care about the most, and this is how batsmen attain their legendary statuses. Drilled down, runs highlight a batsman’s ability to fashion out runs in pressure situations and their consistency in the hardest format of cricket. We therefore assigned 50% of the scoring to runs.
Average – Again, this illustrated the effectiveness and consistency of the top Test batsmen. Arguably, this gives added meaning to the contributions of the finest Test batsmen, and usually, an average of 45 or above is considered strong. We allocated 30% of the scoring to this metric.
Centuries – Getting a century in Test cricket is a significant milestone, and there are even a few batsmen in our table who picked up a few double centuries along the way. While it was a toss-up between this and averages for weighting, centuries contributed 20% of the scoring methodology.
How We Scored the Best Test Batsmen
The original table provided only gave a simplistic view of the best Test batsman in the modern era. However, factoring in all three performance metrics offered a more accurate picture of who made their mark in this format.
Yes, there was more of an emphasis placed on runs scored, but each category was scaled and normalised to the value of each category. For example, Joe Root’s 12972 Test runs became the 100-point benchmark for runs.
The final weighting was provided as a decimal, but we think it provides a more concerted measure of the top Test batsmen.
The Verdict: Statistical Ranking of Modern Test Greats
Once we put the numbers again through our purpose-built weighting system, using normalised stats, these are how the top 10 Test titans fare against each other.
As you will notice, the rankings may seem skewed against the previous table, but it provides a more comprehensive outlook in terms of statistical comparison between the top Test batsmen.
Final Ranking Table with Score
| Rank | Player | Final Weighted Score | Runs (Raw) | Average (Raw) | 100s (Raw) |
| 1 | KC Sangakarra (SL) | 97.80 | 12400 | 57.40 | 38 |
| 2 | JE Root (ENG) | 95.54 | 12972 | 50.87 | 36 |
| 3 | SPD Smith (AUS) | 88.20 | 10271 | 56.74 | 36 |
| 4 | AN Cook (ENG) | 89.15 | 12472 | 45.35 | 33 |
| 5 | Younis Khan (PAK) | 84.02 | 10099 | 52.05 | 34 |
| 6 | KS Williamson (NZ) | 81.81 | 9276 | 54.88 | 33 |
| 7 | V Kohli (IND) | 75.85 | 9230 | 46.85 | 30 |
| 8 | GC Smith (SA) | 75.14 | 9265 | 48.25 | 27 |
| 9 | HM Amla (SA) | 74.89 | 9282 | 46.64 | 28 |
| 10 | DA Warner (AUS) | 70.85 | 8786 | 44.59 | 26 |
Conclusion: SportsBoom Suggests
Having applied our statistical model, where runs (50%), average (30%) and centuries (20%) were the barometers, Kumar Sangakkara was close to perfect. Statistically speaking, he was the best Test batsman when judged on the scoring methods.
Joe Root, of course, was a prolific run scorer, and the rate at which he accumulated his runs was impressive. Steve Smith, meanwhile, rounded off the top three with his impressive average, propelling him above his cohorts.
But we need to put things into perspective. While our scientific approach to stats is a good indicator of how to measure the top batsmen, it’s not a definitive guide. There were factors overlooked, such as the quality of opposition faced, or whether the runs scored came in match-winning contributions, which would normally lend itself to the debate.
Although our numbers point to Sangakkara, other statistical priorities that have been neglected might have changed things. Who is your pick for the best Test batsman since 2000, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
REFERENCES
- 1
A full list of the most runs scored in Test cricket: ESPNcricinfo’s breakdown of the greatest run machines - https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/most-runs-in-career-223646 Accessed April 16, 2025
- 2
Presenting the top Test run scorers of all-time: MyKhel’s statistical take on things - https://www.mykhel.com/cricket/most-runs-in-test-rs30/ Accessed April 16, 2025
- 3
Test runs batting records: Wisden reveals the top Test runs scorers of all time - https://www.wisden.com/records/men-test/batting-records/most-runs-in-test Accessed April 16, 2025
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.