Test cricket is considered the most classy and toughest format of cricket. It has a long history and has seen numerous iconic performances over the years. Although in today’s era most fans look forward to the shortest format of the game (T20), there are still some people who love the oldest format as it gives them immense thrill. Over the years, the test format has seen many notable players who have saved crucial games for their teams and stood like a wall against the opposition. In this article, we will have a look at the top 5 players who are considered the most dependable batsmen for their countries.
5) Kane Williamson
The New Zealand veteran Kane Williamson has the ability to score big, which makes him one of the most stunning batsmen of this era. Williamson has the ability to thrive in pressure situations and has proven himself in several crucial matches. Till now, “Steady the Ship” has represented the Kiwis in 102 Test matches and has scored 8881 runs with an average of 54.48. Williamson has over 32 test centuries to his name and his highest score is 251. Kane made history during New Zealand’s Test series Win over Pakistan. Williamson scored 89 and 139 runs in the final test and led the team to win. The years 2019 and 2020 were amazing for Williamson, and his consistency makes him one of the most dependable batsmen of all time.
4) Jacques Kallis
Jacques Kallis is widely considered one of the best all-rounders of all time. He was the most reliable player for the South African team. Kallis has scored over 10,000 runs in both formats of the game and has taken over 250 wickets in both tests and ODIs. Since his international debut in 1995, Kallis has proved himself to be an important aspect for the proteas. In his seventh test match, Kallis scored a match-saving hundred against Australia. After that crucial inning, he laid the foundation for the South African team to dominate the world. He played 166 Test matches for the proteas and scored over 13289 runs with an average of 55.37. Talking about his bowling, he has taken 292 wickets, making him the most valuable player of all time.
3) Kumar Sangakkara
Former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara is one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He was part of the Sri Lankan team for over fifteen years. Sangakkara played 134 matches and scored 124000 runs with an average of 57.14. He has 38 centuries in Test cricket and eleven double hundreds to his name. His highest score in test cricket is 319 runs. Sangakkara’s 192 against Australia in 2007 displayed his ability to score in important situations. He has surpassed 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs.
2) Sachin Tendulkar
The Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar is widely considered the God of Cricket. He carried the burden of the Indian team for over two decades and no matter what the conditions were or who the opposition was, he always scored, as the whole team used to depend on him whenever the wickets got down. Tendulkar played 200 test matches and scored 15921 runs with an average of 53.79. He has 51 centuries to his name and also six double hundreds to his name. His highest test score is 248 runs. Tendulkar holds almost every record in test cricket.
1) Rahul Dravid
The former Indian player and coach Rahul Dravid dominated world cricket for over a decade and was arguably the best test batsman of his era. “The Wall” always made sure that India escaped the collapse whenever the team got in trouble. Dravid scored 95 runs at Lord’s on his debut. Later, he played two notable innings of 217 and 148, which was enough for him to become one of the finest Test batsmen India ever had. “Mr. Dependable” was also the part of Fab Four, which included batsmen like Sachin, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. Dravid played 164 matches for India and scored over 13288 runs. He faced over 31258 balls in his test career, which is the highest for any batsman. He has 36 test hundreds to his name, which he scored during crucial situations. This makes him the most dependable batsman in cricket history.