Top order batsman and former captainDon Bradman holds several batting records. Considered to be the greatest batsman of all time, he played 52 Tests between 1928 and 1948.[9] He holds the record for the highest Test average of 99.94, has scored the most Test double centuries with 12, the equal most Test triple centuries with 2 and the most runs scored in a series with 974 during the 1930 Ashes series.[10][11][12][13] He also holds 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.[14] A further two Australian partnership records for the second and the sixth wickets set by Bradman still stand.[15]
Shane Warne, regarded as one of the best bowlers in the history of the game, holds several Test records.[16] He held the record for the most Test wickets with 708 until December 2007 when Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan passed Warne's milestone.[17] Warne is second only to Muralitharan in taking the most five-wicket hauls in an innings and the most ten-wicket hauls in a Test match.[18][19]Glenn McGrath, who took 563 wickets in his career, is third to England's James Anderson and Stuart Broad for the most wickets taken by a fast bowler in Test cricket.[20]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.[21]Allan Border, who made his Test debut in 1978 and captained Australia from 1984 until his retirement in 1994, holds the Australian record for the most consecutive matches played with 153 and the record for the most matches played as skipper for Australia with 93.[22][23]
Key
The top five records are listed for each category, except for the team wins, losses, draws and ties and the partnership records. Tied records for fifth place are also included. Explanations of the general symbols and cricketing terms used in the list are given below. Specific details are provided in each category where appropriate. All records include matches played for Australia only, and are correct as of January 2025[update].
Key
Symbol
Meaning
†
Player or umpire is currently active in Test cricket
*
Player remained not out or partnership remained unbroken
As of January 2025[update], Australia has played 871 Test matches resulting in 417 victories, 233 defeats, 219 draws and 2 ties for an overall winning percentage of 47.87, the highest winning percentage of Test playing teams.[8] Australia has played the second-highest number of Test matches, behind England who have competed in 1,083.[8] Australia has never lost or drawn a match against Zimbabwe, the only team to do so save for Ireland.[24] Australia is also the only team to win their debut Test match with every other team losing their first Test except Zimbabwe who drew against India.[25]
The highest innings total scored in Test cricket came in the series between Sri Lanka and India in August 1997. Playing in the first Test at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the hosts posted a first innings total of 6/952d. This broke the longstanding record of 7/903d which England set against Australia in the final Test of the 1938 Ashes series at The Oval. The fifth Test of the 1954–55 series against the West Indies saw Australia set their highest innings total of 8/758d, the ninth-highest score in Test cricket.[37]
Australia's highest successful run chase in Test cricket came in the fourth Test of the 1948 Ashes series at Headingley. Australia reached the target of 404 runs with seven wickets in hand. This was a Test record at the time of posting and remained so until May 2003 when the West Indies defeated Australia at the Antigua Recreation Ground. Set 418 for victory in the final innings, the hosts achieved the target for the loss of seven wickets.[39][40]
The lowest innings total scored in Test cricket came in the second Test of England's tour of New Zealand in March 1955. Trailing England by 46, New Zealand was bowled out in their second innings for 26 runs.[41] The equal fifth-lowest score in Test history is Australia's total of 36 scored in their first innings against England in the first Test of the 1902 Ashes series.[42]
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 number 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 number of wickets that were still to fall.[44]
Greatest win margins (by innings)
In 2002, Steve Waugh (pictured) led Australia to victory over South Africa by an innings and 360 runs, Australia's greatest winning margin by an innings.[45][46]
The fifth Test of the 1938 Ashes series at The Oval saw England win by an innings and 579 runs, the largest victory by an innings in Test cricket history. The next largest victory was Australia's win against South Africa in the first Test of the 2001–02 tour at the Wanderers Stadium, where the tourists won by an innings and 360 runs.[47]
The greatest winning margin by runs in Test cricket was England's victory over Australia by 675 runs in the first Test of the 1928–29 Ashes series. The next largest victory was recorded by Australia with their win over England in the final Test of the 1934 Ashes series by 562 runs.[48]
The Australian cricket team captained by Joe Darling (seated middle), won the fourth Test of the 1902 Ashes series by a margin of three runs and lost the fifth Test by a margin of one wicket.[59][60] Both records still stand over a century later as Australia's narrowest win by runs and narrowest loss by wickets, respectively.[61][62]
Australia's narrowest win by runs was against England in the fourth Test of the 1902 Ashes series at Old Trafford. Set 124 runs for victory in the final innings, England were bowled all out for 120 to give victory to Australia by three runs.[59] This was the equal fourth-narrowest win in Test cricket, with the narrowest being the West Indies' one-run win over Australia in 1993 and the one-run victory by New Zealand against England in 2023.[63]
Australia's narrowest win by wickets came in the fourth Test of the West Indies tour of Australia in 1951–52. Played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the hosts won the match by a margin of one wicket, one of only fifteen one-wicket victories in Test cricket.[64]
The Oval in London played host the greatest defeat by an innings in Test cricket.[47] The final Test of the 1938 Ashes saw England defeat the tourists by an innings and 579 runs, to the draw the series at one match all.[65]
The first Test of the 1928–29 Ashes series saw Australia defeated by England by 675 runs, the greatest losing margin by runs in Test cricket.[48] The match was played at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground, the first of only two Test matches contested at the venue.[67]
Allan Border (pictured) was the captain of the Australian team that lost the fourth Test against the West Indies in 1993 by a margin of one run, the narrowest loss in Test cricket history.[63][80]
Only two matches in 147 years of Test cricket have been decided by a margin of one run. The first was the fourth Test of the West Indian tour of Australia in 1992–93 playing for the Frank Worrell Trophy. Contested at Adelaide Oval, Australia was set 186 runs for victory in the final innings. With just two runs left to score, Australia's number eleven batsman Craig McDermott was caught behind off the bowling of Courtney Walsh, to give the victory to the tourists.[63][80][81]
Test cricket has seen fifteen matches decided by a margin of one wicket, with Australia being defeated in six of them.[64] The first of these was the final Test of the 1902 Ashes series at The Oval where England ran down the target of 263 runs in the final innings.[60] The most recent occurring during the 2019 Ashes series against England. The third Test at Headingley saw the hosts achieving their highest successful run chase in Test cricket of 359 runs.[82]
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.[44] Only two matches have ended in a tie in Test cricket history, both of which involved Australia.[83]
Matthew Hayden (pictured) has scored the highest individual Test score (380) for Australia.[84]
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.[85]
A batsman's batting average is the total number of runs they have scored divided by the number of times they have been dismissed.[90]
Australia's Don Bradman, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time, finished his Test career with an average of 99.94.[9]Adam Voges who retired in 2016, has the second-best career average in Test cricket with 61.87.[91]
Qualification: 20 innings. Last updated: 7 January 2025[92]
Most half-centuries
A half-century is a score of between 50 and 99 runs. Statistically, once a batsman's score reaches 100, it is no longer considered a half-century but a century.[93]
Ricky Ponting (pictured) has scored the most Test runs (13,378), the most centuries (41) and the most fours (1,509) for Australia.[87][96][97]
A century is a score of 100 or more runs in a single innings.[98]
Tendulkar has also scored the most centuries in Test cricket with 51. South Africa's Jacques Kallis is next on 45 and Ricky Ponting with 41 hundreds is in third.[99]
A double century is a score of 200 or more runs in a single innings.
Bradman holds the Test record for the most double centuries scored with twelve, one ahead of Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara who finished his career with eleven. In third is Brian Lara of the West Indies with nine. England's Wally Hammond, India's Virat Kohli and Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka have all scored seven and Ponting is one of eight cricketers who reached the mark on six occasions.[11]
A score of six runs is scored if the ball has been struck by the bat and is first grounded beyond the boundary without having been in contact with the ground within the field of play.[103]
A score of four runs is scored if the ball is grounded beyond the boundary with first having been in contact with the ground within the field of play.[103]
Tendulkar has also scored most fours in Test cricket with 2,059[e] ahead of his compatriot Rahul Dravid on 1,654 and West Indian Brian Lara on 1,559. Ponting is in fourth reaching the boundary on 1,509 occasions.[107]
A duck refers to a batsman being dismissed without scoring a run.[112]Glenn McGrath has scored the fourth-highest number of ducks in Test cricket with 35 behind the West Indies' Courtney Walsh with 43, Stuart Broad of England with 39 and New Zealand's Chris Martin who failed to post a score 36 times.[113]
Shane Warne (pictured) has taken the most Test wickets (708), the most five-wicket hauls (37) and the most ten-wicket hauls (10) for Australia.[115][116][117]
Shane Warne held the record for the most Test wickets with 708 until December 2007 when Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan passed Warne's milestone.[17] Muralitharan, who continued to play until 2010, finished with 800 wickets to his name. James Anderson of England is third with 704 Test wickets to his name, overtaking Australia's Glenn McGrath in September 2018 to become the fast bowler with the most Test wickets.[118] India's Anil Kumble is fourth on the list taking 619 wickets. Stuart Broad with 566 wickets moved into fifth in September 2022 after becoming the second fast bowler to overtake McGrath's total of 563 wickets.[119][120][20]
Arthur Mailey (pictured) took 9/121 in the fourth Test of the 1920–21 Ashes series, the best figures by an Australian bowler in a Test match innings.[121]
Bowling figures refers to the number of the wickets a bowler has taken and the number of runs conceded.[122]
There have been three occasions in Test cricket where a bowler has taken all 10 wickets in a single innings – Jim Laker of England took 10/53 against Australia in 1956, India's Anil Kumble in 1999 returned figures of 10/74 against Pakistan and in 2021Ajaz Patel of New Zealand took 10/119 against India. Arthur Mailey is one of 16 bowlers who have taken nine wickets in a Test match innings.[123]
Best figures in an Test innings by Australian bowlers
Bob Massie (pictured) holds the Australian record for the best bowling figures in a Test match with 16/137 taken in the second Test of the 1972 Ashes series.[124]
A bowler's bowling figures in a match is the sum of the wickets taken and the runs conceded over both innings.
No bowler in the history of Test cricket has taken all 20 wickets in a match. The closest to do so was English spin bowlerJim Laker. During the fourth Test of the 1956 Ashes series, Laker took 9/37 in the first innings and 10/53 in the second to finish with match figures of 19/90. Bob Massie's figures of 16/137, taken in second match of the 1972 Ashes series, is the fourth-best in Test cricket history.[125]
Best figures in an Test match by Australian bowlers
J. J. Ferris (pictured) holds the Australian record for the best Test career bowling average with 14.25 runs per wicket.[126]
A bowler's bowling average is the total number of runs they have conceded divided by the number of wickets they have taken.
Nineteenth century English medium pacer George Lohmann holds the record for the best career average in Test cricket with 10.75. J. J. Ferris, one of seventeen cricketers to have played Test cricket for more than one team,[127] is second behind Lohmann with an overall career average of 12.70 runs per wicket.[128]
Qualification: 2,000 balls. Last updated: 7 January 2025[126]
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.[112]
English bowler William Attewell, who played 10 matches for England between 1884 and 1892, holds the Test record for the best career economy rate with 1.31. Australia's Bert Ironmonger, with a rate of 1.69 runs per over conceded over his 14-match Test career, is fifth on the list.[129]
Best career Test economy rate by Australian bowlers
Qualification: 2,000 balls. Last updated: 30 November 2024[130]
Best career strike rate
Scott Boland (pictured) holds the Australian record for the best strike rate with 38.23 balls per wicket.[131]
A bowler's strike rate is the total number of balls they have bowled divided by the number of wickets they have taken.[112]
As with the career average above, George Lohmann is the bowler with the best Test career strike rate at 34.19. He is followed the currently active players of Indian left-arm wrist spinnerKuldeep Yadav and South African left-arm pacer Marco Jansen 37.37 and 37.49, respectively. J. J. Ferris sits in fourth with an overall career strike rate of 37.73 balls per wicket. The currently active Scott Boland in fifth has the best Test strike for any Australian bowler with 38.23, as of January 2025[update].[132]
Best career Test strike rate by Australian bowlers
A ten-wicket haul refers to a bowler taking ten or more wickets in a match over two innings.
Shane Warne is second only to Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka in taking the most ten-wicket hauls in Test cricket with Muralitharan haven taken 22 to Warne's 10.[19]
Most Test ten-wicket hauls in an innings by Australian bowlers
The worst figures in a single innings in Test cricket came in the third Test between the West Indies at home to Pakistan in 1958. Pakistan's Khan Mohammad returned figures of 0/259 from his 54 overs in the second innings of the match.[135][136] The worst figures by an Australian is 0/156 that came off the bowling of Mitchell Swepson in his debut Test in March 2022 against Pakistan.[137][138][139]
Worst figures in an Test innings by Australian bowlers
The worst figures in a match in Test cricket were taken by South Africa's Imran Tahir in the second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in November 2012. He returned figures of 0/180 from his 23 overs in the first innings and 0/80 off 14 in the third innings for a total of 0/260 from 37 overs.[140] He claimed the record in his final over when two runs came from it – enough for him to pass the previous record of 0/259, set 54 years prior.[141][142][143]
The wicket-keeper is a specialist fielder who stands behind the stumps being guarded by the batsman on strike and is the only member of the fielding side allowed to wear gloves and leg pads.[150]
Most career dismissals
Adam Gilchrist (pictured) has taken the most wicket-keeping Test dismissals (416) for Australia.[151]
A wicket-keeper can be credited with the dismissal of a batsman in two ways, caught or stumped. A fair catch is taken when the ball is caught fully within the field of play without it bouncing after the ball has touched the striker's bat or glove holding the bat,[152][153] while a stumping occurs when the wicket-keeper puts down the wicket while the batsman is out of his ground and not attempting a run.[154]
Australia's Adam Gilchrist is second only to South Africa's Mark Boucher in taking most dismissals in Test cricket as a designated wicket-keeper, with Boucher taking 555 to Gilchrist 416.[21]
Most career Test dismissals by Australian wicket-keepers
Bert Oldfield (pictured) holds the record for the most stumpings in Test cricket with 52.[157]
Bert Oldfield, Australia's fifth-most capped wicket-keeper,[158] holds the record for the most stumpings in Test cricket with 52. He is followed by England's Godfrey Evans with 46 to his name. Indian glovemen Syed Kirmani and MS Dhoni are both equal third on 38 and Gilchrist is fifth on the list with 37.[157]
Most career Test stumpings by Australian wicket-keepers
Brad Haddin (pictured) with 29 catches taken during the 2013 Ashes series holds the Test cricket record for the most dismissals taken by a wicket-keeper in a series.[163]
Brad Haddin holds the Test cricket record for the most dismissals by a wicket-keeper in a series. He took 29 catches during the 2013 Ashes series which broke the previous record held by fellow Australian Rod Marsh where he took 28 catches in the 1982–83 Ashes series.[163]
Most dismissals in an Test series by Australian wicket-keepers
Caught is one of the nine methods a batsman can be dismissed in cricket.[g] A fair catch is defined as a fielder catching the ball, from a legal delivery, fully within the field of play without it bouncing when the ball has touched the striker's bat or glove holding the bat.[152][153] The majority of catches are caught in the slips, located behind the batsman, next to the wicket-keeper, on the off side of the field. Most slip fielders are top order batsmen.[166][167]
India's Rahul Dravid holds the record for the most catches in Test cricket by a non-wicket-keeper with 210. He is followed the former English captain and currently active Joe Root on 207, as of January 2025[update], Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka on 205 and South African Jacques Kallis with 200. Ricky Ponting is the highest ranked Australian in fifth, securing 196 catches in his Test career.[168]
Allan Border (pictured) holds the Australian record for the most consecutive career Test matches and the most matches as captain of Australia with 153 and 93, respectively.[22][23]
Former English captainAlastair Cook holds the record for the most consecutive Test matches played with 159. He broke Allan Border's long standing record of 153 matches in June 2018.[177]Mark Waugh, the Australian middle order batsman who played 107 consecutive Test matches, is third. The recently retired New Zealand wicket-keeper-batsman Brendon McCullum, who is fifth on the list with 101 matches, is the highest ranked cricketer who never missed a Test match during his playing career. Adam Gilchrist, in seventh on 96, is the highest ranked Australian player to achieve the feat.[22][178][179]
Most consecutive career Test matches by Australian cricketers
Graeme Smith, who led the South African cricket team from 2003 to 2014, holds the record for the most matches played as captain in Test cricket with 109. Allan Border, who skippered Australia from 1984 to 1994 is second with 93 matches. New Zealand's captain from 1997 to 2006, Stephen Fleming, is third on the list with 80 and in fourth on 77 is Australia's Ricky Ponting who led the side for six years from 2004 to 2010.[180]
The youngest player to play in a Test match is claimed to be Hasan Raza at the age of 14 years and 227 days. Making his debut for Pakistan against Zimbabwe on 24 October 1996, there is some doubt as to the validity of Raza's age at the time.[181][182] The youngest Australian to play Test cricket was Ian Craig who at the age of 17 years and 239 days debuted in the final Test of the series against South Africa in February 1953.[183]
Bert Ironmonger (pictured here in his 40s) is the oldest Australian cricketer to play in a Test match and was the second-oldest to make his debut for Australia.[184][185]
At 49 years and 119 days, James Southerton of England, playing in the very first Test match in March 1877, is the oldest player to make his debut in Test cricket. Second on the list is Miran Bakhsh of Pakistan who at 47 years and 284 days made his debut against India in 1955. Australia's Don Blackie is the third-oldest player to make his debut, breaking into the side during the second Test of the 1928–29 Ashes series at the age of 46 years and 253 days. He broke the record set by his teammate Bert Ironmonger who debuted in the previous Test match two weeks earlier.[184]
Oldest Test cricketers to make their debut for Australia
England all-rounder Wilfred Rhodes is the oldest player to appear in a Test match. Playing in the fourth Test against the West Indies in 1930 at Sabina Park, in Kingston, Jamaica, he was aged 52 years and 165 days on the final day's play. The second-oldest Test player is Bert Ironmonger who was aged 50 years and 327 days when he represented Australia for the final time in the fifth Test of the 1932–33 Ashes series at the Sydney Cricket Ground.[185]
In cricket, two batsmen are always present at the crease batting together in a partnership. This partnership will continue until one of them is dismissed, retires or the innings comes to a close.
Highest partnerships by wicket
Don Bradman (left) and Sid Barnes (right) set the highest fifth wicket partnership in Test cricket, scoring 405 against England in 1946.[14]
A wicket partnership describes the number of runs scored before each wicket falls. The first wicket partnership is between the opening batsmen and continues until the first wicket falls. The second wicket partnership then commences between the not out batsman and the number three batsman. This partnership continues until the second wicket falls. The third wicket partnership then commences between the not out batsman and the new batsman. This continues down to the tenth wicket partnership. When the tenth wicket has fallen, there is no batsman left to partner, so the innings is closed.
Daryl Harper (pictured) holds the Australian record for the most number of Test matches umpired with 95.[190]
Most matches umpired
An umpire in cricket is a person who officiates the match according to the Laws of Cricket. Two umpires adjudicate the match on the field, whilst a third umpire has access to video replays, and a fourth umpire looks after the match balls and other duties. The records below are only for on-field umpires.
Aleem Dar of Pakistan holds the record for the most Test matches umpired with 145. Dar set the record in December 2019 overtaking West Indian Steve Bucknor's mark of 128 matches.[191] They are followed by South Africa's Rudi Koertzen who officiated in 108. The most experienced Australian is Daryl Harper who is fourth on the list with 95 Test matches umpired.[192]
^For the first 50 years of Test cricket matches were played over three or four days[2] and until the 1930s some timeless Tests were played.[3]
^In October 2017, the ICC Board approved a trial of four-day Test cricket to run through until the 2019 Cricket World Cup.[4]
^The other teams to have won a Test match by a margin of 10 wickets are the West Indies (28),[50] England (22),[51] Pakistan (13),[52] Sri Lanka (11),[53] India (9),[54] South Africa (9),[55] New Zealand (5),[56]Bangladesh (1)[57] and Zimbabwe (1).[58]
^The other teams to have lost a Test match by a margin of 10 wickets are Ireland (1),[69]Afghanistan (2),[70] Bangladesh (6),[71] Sri Lanka (7),[72] Zimbabwe (8),[73] Pakistan (10),[74] South Africa (12),[75] New Zealand (13),[76] the West Indies (18),[77] India (19)[78] and England (25).[79]
^ESPNcricinfo lists this number as 2,058 with a note that complete career figures are not known.[107] This is due to the incomplete scorecard for the one off Test played between India and Sri Lanka in November 1990 at the Sector 16 Stadium in Chandigarh including whether Tendulkar scored any boundaries in his innings total of 11 runs.[108] CricketArchive's scorecard of this match is missing this information as well.[109] Charles Davis' Test Match Database does lists Tendulkar as scoring a single boundary in India's only innings of the match.[110]
^Williamson, Martin (22 August 2015). "The Oval grind of 1938". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 29 December 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
^Williamson, Martin (22 January 2009). "The birth of Test cricket". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
^ ab"Sir Donald Bradman player profile". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024. Sir Donald Bradman of Australia was, beyond any argument, the greatest batsman who ever lived and the greatest cricketer of the 20th century. Only WG Grace, in the formative years of the game, even remotely matched his status as a player.
^ ab"Law 33 – Caught". Marylebone Cricket Club. Archived from the original on 29 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
^ ab"Law 5 – The Bat". Marylebone Cricket Club. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024. Laws 5.6.2.2 and 5.6.2.3 state that the hand or the glove holding the bat shall be regarded as the ball striking or touching the bat.
^"Law 39 – Stumped". Marylebone Cricket Club. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
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