Cricket
Steve Smith, Virat Kohli or Joe Root! Check Who has the Fastest 8000 runs in Test cricket
Achieving milestones in Test cricket is one of the biggest accomplishments for the batters.
Image Credits: Paul Kane/Getty Images
Test cricket is considered as the pinnacle of the game and is rated highly among the three formats. This is because the format tests the grit, determination, passion, skills and many more things of a player. Batting in Test cricket arguably is one of the toughest things to do. The red ball poses a different threat to batters altogether because of the movement and it’s fair to say that the real quality of the batter is depicted by his performances in Test cricket.
Achieving milestones in Test cricket is one of the biggest accomplishments for the batters. The longest format of the game over the years has seen many stalwarts gracing the game and have done various incredible things. In this piece, we take a look at batters who have scored the fastest 8000 runs in the Tests.
Fastest 8000 runs in Test cricket
Fastest 8000 runs in Test cricket
| Player | Opposition | Ground | Year | Debut | Mat | Inns |
| Steve Smith | v Pakistan | Lahore | 2022 | 13 Jul 2010 | 85 | 151 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | v India | Colombo | 2010 | 20 Jul 2000 | 91 | 152 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | v West Indies | Kingston | 2002 | 15 Nov 1989 | 96 | 154 |
| Gary Sobers | v England | Kingston | 1974 | 30 Mar 1954 | 91 | 157 |
| Rahul Dravid | v Sri Lanka | Delhi | 2005 | 20 Jun 1996 | 94 | 158 |
| Virender Sehwag | v Australia | Melbourne | 2011 | 3 Nov 2001 | 93 | 160 |
| Javed Miandad | v New Zealand | Faisalabad | 1990 | 9 Oct 1976 | 107 | 162 |
| Brian Lara | v Australia | St John’s | 2003 | 6 Dec 1990 | 94 | 164 |
| Matthew Hayden | v India | Melbourne | 2007 | 4 Mar 1994 | 92 | 164 |
| Kane Williamson | v Sri Lanka | Wellington | 2023 | 4 Nov 2010 | 94 | 164 |
1. Steve Smith getting 8000 runs in 151 innings
Australia batter Steve Smith is the fastest to 8000 runs in Test cricket. The premier batter achieved the feat in the 151 innings and broke Kumar Sangakkara’s record. Smith surpassed the 8000-run mark during the game against Pakistan at Lahore in 2022 and bagged the top spot on the list. He’s arguably the best Test batter of the current generation and is amongst the top run-getters for Australia in Tests.
2. Kumar Sangakkara getting 8000 runs in 152 innings
Former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara is the batter with second second-fastest 8000 runs in Test cricket. The Legend of the game took 152 innings to achieve the milestone during the game against India at Colombo in 2010. He held the record for 12 years before it was broken by Steve Smith in 2022.
3. Sachin Tendulkar getting 8000 runs in 154 innings
Image Credits: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images
Batting great Sachin Tendulkar also features in the list of Fastest 8000 runs in Test cricket. The Indian batter, who is called as the God of Cricket, is the third fastest to achieve the feat. He surpassed 8000 runs in his 154th innings while playing against West Indies at Kingston in 2002 and was the fastest when he achieved the feat.
4. Gary Sobers getting 8000 runs in 157 innings
West Indies Legend Gary Sobers is the batter with the fourth fastest 8000 runs in Test cricket. He was one of the main reasons behind the dominance of the West Indies in the last century. The batting maestro completed 8000 runs in Test cricket in his 157th innings. He achieved the feat during the game against England in 1974 at the Kingston.
5. Rahul Dravid getting 8000 runs in 158 innings
Image Credits: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images
‘The Wall’ Rahul Dravid is the fifth fastest to 8000 runs in Test cricket. The former India skipper achieved the feat in his 158th innings and entered his name in the record books. He got to the milestone during the game against Sri Lanka at Delhi in 2005. He was one of the best players to have played Test cricket and also broke and created many records in his career.
FAQs
Sir Don Bradman holds the record of 5000 runs in Test cricket. The Australian Legend took just 56 innings to achieve the feat. He went past 5000 runs in a game against England at Leeds in 1938 and his record is still intact.
West Indies legend Brian Lara is the batter being has scored the fastest 10000 runs in Test cricket. The left-hander achieved the feat during the game against England in 2004. It was his 195th inning when he went past 10000.
I am just a guy in his early 20s whose dream was to play cricket but now believes his job is to serve cricket. I picked the cricket bat at the age of 3, pursued science as I grew up but eventually followed my heart to come into journalism and do the second-best thing in the world after playing the sport.