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Test cricket is the oldest form of cricket played at international level. A Test match takes place over a period of five days, and is played by teams representing Full Member nations of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Australia was a founding member of the ICC having played the first Test match against England in March 1877 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Since then, they have played 799 matches against every other Test-playing nation, second only to England who have played just under 1000. Australia is currently the most successful team in Test cricket with an overall winning percentage of 47.18, well ahead of their nearest rival South Africa on 36.91.
Contents
- Key
- Team wins losses draws and ties
- Result records
- Greatest win margins by 10 wickets
- Greatest loss margins by 10 wickets
- Most career runs
- Highest individual score
- Highest career average
- Most ducks
- Best career average
- Best career economy rate
- Best career strike rate
- References
Top order batsman and former captain Don Bradman holds several batting records. Considered to be the greatest batsman of all time, he played 52 Tests between 1928 and 1948. He holds the record for the highest Test average of 99.94, has scored the most Test double centuries with 12 and the most runs scored in a series with 974 during the 1930 Ashes series. He also hold the highest fifth wicket partnership with Sid Barnes with 405 runs, set during the 1946–47 Ashes series, the oldest of the wicket partnerships records. A further two Australian partnership records for the second and the sixth wickets set by Bradman still stand.
Shane Warne, regarded as one of the best bowlers in the history of the game, holds several Test records. He held the record for the most Test wickets with 708 until December 2007 when Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan passed Warne's milestone. Warne is second only to Muralitharan in taking the most five-wicket hauls in an innings and the most ten-wicket hauls in a match. Adam Gilchrist is Australia's most successful wicket-keeper having taken 416 dismissals. He is second only to South Africa's Mark Boucher with 555 to his name.
Key
The top five records are listed for each category, except in "Team wins, losses, draws and ties" and "highest wicket partnerships". Tied records for the fifth place are listed as well. Explanations of the general symbols and cricketing terms used in the list are given below. Specific details are provided in each category where appropriate.
Team wins, losses, draws and ties
A tie can occur when the scores of both teams are equal at the conclusion of play, provided that the side batting last has completed their innings. Only two matches have ended in a tie in Test cricket history, both of which involved Australia.
Result records
A Test match is won when one side has scored more runs than the total runs scored by the opposing side during their two innings. If both sides have completed both their allocated innings and the side that fielded last has the higher aggregate of runs, it is known as a win by runs. This indicates the amount of runs that they had scored more than the opposing side. If one side scores more runs in a single innings than the total runs scored by the other side in both their innings, it is known as a win by innings and runs. If the side batting last wins the match, it is known as a win by wickets, indicating the amount of wickets that were still to fall.
Greatest win margins (by 10 wickets)
Australia have won a Test match by a margin of 10 wickets on 28 occasions, more other any other Test playing team.
Greatest loss margins (by 10 wickets)
Australia have lost a Test match by a margin of 10 wickets on 10 occasions.
Most career runs
A run is the basic means of scoring in cricket. A run is scored when the batsman hits the ball with his bat and with his partner runs the length of 22 yards (20 m) of the pitch.
Ricky Ponting, Allan Border and Steve Waugh are three of only twelve batsmen to score over 10,000 runs in Test cricket.
Highest individual score
Matthew Hayden set the highest Test score with 380, surpassing Brian Lara's 375 scored against England in April 1994 at the Antigua Recreation Ground. Six months after Hayden set the record, the West Indian claimed it back scoring 400 not out against the same opposition and on the same ground.
Highest career average
A batsman's batting average is the total number of runs they have scored divided by the number of times they have been dismissed.
Most ducks
A duck refers to a batsman dismissed without scoring a run. Glenn McGrath has scored the third highest amount of ducks in Test cricket behind Courtney Walsh with 43 and Chris Martin with 36.
Best career average
A bowler's bowling average is the total number of runs they have conceded divided by the number of wickets they have taken.
Best career economy rate
A bowler's economy rate is the total number of runs they have conceded divided by the number of overs they have bowled.
Best career strike rate
A bowler's strike rate is the total number of balls they have bowled divided by the number of wickets they have taken.