Top 10 batsmen to score the fastest 5,000 runs in Test cricket

Achieving the milestone of being the fastest batsman to score a certain number of runs in cricket is a significant achievement. Brian Lara holds the record for the fastest to 10,000 runs in Test cricket, reaching this number in just 195 innings. In ODI cricket, Virat Kohli achieved the milestone of 10,000 runs in only 205 innings. Reaching any milestone swiftly in any format of the game highlights a batsman's consistency and skill. In this article, we take a look at the top 10 batsmen to have scored the fastest 5,000 runs in Test cricket.

Australian cricket player Don Bradman//Getty

Sir Donald Bradman (Australia) - 56 innings 

Sir Donald Bradman, one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history, was the fastest to reach 5,000 runs in Test cricket. He achieved the feat in just 56 innings in July 1938, during a Test match against England at Leeds. The highlight of Bradman’s career, which began in 1928, was his batting average of 99.94, a record that remains the highest in the history of the game. Over his career, which concluded in 1948, Bradman amassed a total of 6996 runs in 52 Tests. He holds several records in first-class cricket too. Bradman's 117 first-class centuries is still the most by any Australian.

Jack Hobbs (England) - 91 innings 

Jack Hobbs reached 5000 runs in Test cricket in 91 innings, achieving this milestone in March 1929 during a match against Australia at Melbourne. Hobbs’s illustrious career began in 1908 and spanned until 1930. By the time he retired, he had accumulated 5410 runs in 61 Tests. He is also the all-time leading run-scorer and century-maker in first-class cricket, with 61,760 runs and 199 centuries. Hobbs also shone as a fielder, especially in the cover point position. He was knighted in 1953, becoming the first professional cricketer to receive this honour.

Garfield Sobers (West Indies) - 95 innings 

Garfield Sobers, the legendary West Indian all-rounder, reached the 5000-run milestone in just 95 innings. He reached 5,000 runs in August 1966 against England at Leeds. During his career, which began in 1954, Sobers delivered several great performances with both with the bat and the ball. His versatility made him one of cricket’s most celebrated figures. Over his career, which lasted until 1974, Sobers accumulated 8032 runs in 93 Tests and took 235 wickets. Among cricketers with more than 5,000 Test runs, Sobers has the fifth-highest batting average (57.78).

Sunil Gavaskar (India) - 95 innings 

Sunil Gavaskar, one of India’s greatest batsmen and one of the best opening batsmen in the world, reached 5000 runs in Test cricket in 95 innings. This milestone was achieved in September 1979 during a match against Australia in Bengaluru. At the time of his retirement in 1987, Gavaskar had amassed 10122 runs in 125 Tests. Gavaskar was highly praised for his technique against fast bowling, boasting an impressive average of 65.45 against the West Indies, whose four-pronged fast bowling attack is often considered the most fearsome in Test history.
 

Sunil Gavaskar

Vivian Richards (West Indies) - 95 innings 

Vivian Richards, another legendary batsman, reached the milestone of 5000 runs in Test cricket in 95 innings. He achieved this feat in June 1984 during a Test match against England at Birmingham. From his debut in 1974 until his retirement in 1991, Richards accumulated 8540 runs in 121 Tests. At the time of his retirement, he was the leading run-scorer for the West Indies in the longest format. As a captain, Richards led the team in 50 Tests, winning 27 and losing only eight. He also accumulated nearly 7,000 runs in ODIs along with over 36,000 runs in first-class cricket.

Matthew Hayden (Australia) - 95 innings 

Aggressive left-handed opening batsman Matthew Hayden reached 5000 runs in Test cricket in 95 innings. He did so in July 2004 during a Test match against Sri Lanka at Cairns. During his career from 1994 to 2009, Hayden amassed 8635 runs in 103 Tests. He holds the record for the highest individual score by an Australian batsman in Test cricket, with 380 runs against Zimbabwe in 2003. This innings is the second-highest individual score in Test history, following Brian Lara's 400*. It is also the highest score ever achieved by an opening batsman in Tests.

Wally Hammond (England) - 97 innings 

Wally Hammond, a cornerstone of English cricket in the 1930s, reached 5000 runs in Test cricket in 97 innings. This special feat came in December 1936 during a match against Australia in Sydney. In a Test career spanning 85 matches between 1927 and 1947, the prolific batsman scored 7,249 runs and also took 83 wickets. He was the captain in 20 of the 85 matches, winning four, losing three, and drawing 13. In 1933, he set the record for the highest individual Test innings with 336 not out, a record that was later surpassed by Len Hutton in 1938.

Colin Cowdrey (England) - 97 innings 

Former England cricketer Colin Cowdrey reached 5000 runs in Test cricket in 97 innings. He achieved this milestone in August 1965 during a Test match against South Africa at The Oval. By the time he retired in 1975, Cowdrey had scored 11428 runs in 114 Tests. Cowdrey was famously the first cricketer to make 100 appearances in Test cricket. He was also the first batsman to score a Test century against six different teams: South Africa, Australia, the West Indies, India, Pakistan and New Zealand.

Steve Smith (Australia) - 97 innings 

Steve Smith, one of the modern era’s most prolific batsmen, reached 5000 runs in Test cricket in 97 innings. He got to this special number on 16 March 2017 against India at Ranchi. Smith’s career, which began in 2010, has seen several exceptional innings. As of now, Smith has amassed over 9500 runs in 109 Tests at an average of 56.97 and is Australia's highest run-scorer in the format among active cricketers. 

Steve Smith