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To excel in the art of batting, you need to pass the rigorous test that the longest form of the game offers. The ability to survive hostile spells of bowling, the conditions, and apply skills with temperament is not something every player is capable of doing.
Only a fraction of players who have played the game since its inception have wrapped up their careers with a Test record that they can be truly satisfied with. Most of the players have fizzled away, unable to transition from first-class level to meet the very high level of international cricket.
Test cricket is going through a major change right now, but the basics remain the same, and the traits to excel in the format are relatively unchanged as well. You need those from day one until the end to pile on the runs and survive the longest format.
Each passing generation has witnessed a pool of evergreen batters, and with only their Test credentials to be compared without the added complexity of white-ball cricket, the gifted batters can be compared across the same set of parameters.
On that note, let us take a look at the top 10 greatest men's Test batters of all time.
#10 Sir Viv Richards
A certified great of the game, and arguably born too early considering his style of play. His heroics in the ODI cricket, his contribution to World Cups, and the way he revolutionized the format are well-documented, amid this, although his Test career has not got unnoticed (that will be impossible), but it is not talked about as much it should be.
A career average exceeding fifty, close to 10,000 runs with over 100 appearances, Richards was the backbone of the dominant West Indies Test side. Their famed pace bowling attack gets talked about a lot, but the Men in Maroon also needed quality batting to go along with it, and that is where Richards led the way.
#9 Kumar Sangakkara
One of the greatest left-handed batters and one of the finest red-ball batters in Asia, Kumar Sangakkara was not only a decorated all-time great, but possibly one of the most elegant batters of all time. His natural flair as a left-handed batter was amplified by his impeccable strokeplay.
He did not hold an average below 30 in any country, showcasing his command over all kinds of conditions. He held an average of 60 in Australia, which not many subcontinent batters can even dream of replicating. His 11 Test double hundreds, only one below the all-time record, and the fact that he hardly faced a dip, retiring when he was still among the runs, makes him a special batter.
#8 Gary Sobers
Potentially the greatest all-rounder that the game has ever witnessed, Sobers' batting record alone is enough to classify him as an all-time great. He is the only player among the top 40 run scorers in Tests to have not recorded hit the 100 appearance mark in Test cricket.
However, that is hardly a criterion for greatness, with Sobers managing to be an all-time great with the opportunities that he availed. He made 90 Test appearances in his career, recording over 8000 runs at an average of 57.83.
#7 Jacques Kallis
Another cricketer whose all-round credentials have been hailed, making his batting record in Tests a part of his overall contributions. However, his Test batting alone is enough to make him a legend, and naturally be considered as one of the best red-ball batters of all time.
Much like his peers of that era, he was the epitome of consistency and a highly reliable batter, who handled the South African middle order for well over a decade. His numbers justify his performances as he stepped away with over 13,000 runs at an average of 55.37, which included 45 hundreds, only six short of the all-time record.
#6 Ricky Ponting
A generational captain, and copious runs in his career has established Ponting as one of the greatest cricketers of all time without any doubt. But, if only red-ball cricket is considered, is the Australian an all-time great? The answer is yes.
Ponting's remarkable consistency, his flair, and his impact on the Australian Test team make him a red-ball great as well. He finished his career with impressive numbers. The former skipper is still one of the leading run-scorers of the format as he is only one of the four players to cross the 13,000 run mark in Tests.
#5 Sunil Gavaskar
The first to cross the elusive 10,000 run mark in Test cricket, and among the few who thrived when things were stacked against the batters back then, Sunil Gavaskar and Test cricket was a match made in heaven. The Indian opening batter exhibited all qualities needed for a batter to thrive in Tests ranging from technique to temperament.
Although many other gifted batters have come since then, he is still an ideal candidate to look up to to be inspired to play the longest format of the game. Opening in Tests is potentially one of the toughest tasks in world cricket, and Gavaskar flourished in that role to be considered as the greatest Test opener of all-time.
#4 Brian Lara
A genius that oozes flair coupled with an insatiable hunger for runs - Brian Lara was born for Test cricket. He made life hell for bowlers especially if he got set in, and his collection of iconic knocks and moments as a batter are evidence for the same.
He stood out miles apart in the West Indies side of the late nineties and early part of the century. His unorthodox high backlift and style of play made him an instant attraction. Inspite of the recurring tussles with the cricketing board and the instability in West Indies cricket, his bat never stopped talking.
There have been many gifted batters since his retirement who have piled on runs like Lara did, but none have matched his style so far.
#3 Rahul Dravid
If you are a Test cricketer and you want a nickname that shows your prowess, then there are none colder than 'The Wall'. Aptly named, Rahul Dravid was indeed the human version of a rock-solid cement wall. An impenetrable defence with tenacity and temperament in equal proportions, Dravid was a Test great, and he just went along the path.
Having faced the most deliveries in Test cricket, Dravid held the role of No.3 in the Indian batting unit for the majority of his career, just because how reliable and productive he was. His numbers speak a separate story, but one that arrives at the some conclusion of him being one of the best that Test cricket has ever seen.
With the changing landscape of the game, Dravid's breed are slowly becoming endangered, but they will never be extinct, because that is the legacy he has left.
#2 Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar's authority as the game's greatest is certified after finishing as the leading run scorer in both the major formats of the game. The Indian legend's Test career is worthy of dissecting separately and being spoken highly about.
Record numbers are synonymous with Sachin Tendulkar, aside that his authority over all types of conditions and bowling attacks makes him irreplaceable. Although he had some gifted batters by his side for the majority of his career, the responsibility always fell on his shoulders and he often had to carry the batting department single-handedly.
#1 Don Bradman
When it comes to the greatest cricketers of all time, Bradman's name shoots towards the top, but never reaches the summit because of the undeniable contributions made by other players in other formats of the game. Now, with white-ball cricket out of the way, and red-ball cricket being the sole parameter, Bradman can finally have the top spot all to himself, undisputed.
The era was different, the time was different, but his class has passed through generations. Futhermore, numbers are perceived the same way irrespective of time. An average of almost 100 is still among the most mind-boggling statistic in cricketing history, and it will remain the same way for generations to come as well.
