Test cricket is the purest form of cricket, it is a test of skill, character, and temperament, only the fittest survive rest perishes. Havoc conditions, nightmare bowling attack, and flashy fielders, but still few players challenge their extremes and score big runs, playing a major role in the team’s success. A class batsman is always judged by its run conversion capacity, the capacity to convert big starts into the fifties and flashy fifties into big tons.
The 99% of the batsmen have more fifties than hundreds under their belt, but there are a few exceptional players blessed with astounding conversion rate giving a sight of shame to contemporary cricketers. Here is a list of cricketers who have more hundreds than the fifties in test cricket:-
#1 Younis Khan
Hundreds- 34, Fifty- 33
In 17-year cricket career of 118 Tests, Younis Khan played several memorable innings, 34 of them crossed three figures mark, but there are few innings which will always remind us of him, here we share some of such memorable innings played by Younis Khan. In the span from 2000-2017, Younis khan scored 10,099 runs in which he contributed 34 hundred and 33 fifties.
The last complete Test match played on Pakistan’s soil became memorable for Younis when he became Pakistan’s 3rd triple centurion to join Hanif Mohammad and Inzamam ul Haq in the list. Although on a batting track, but a triple century is nonetheless a great achievement. Younis batted for 760 minutes, faced 568 deliveries to score 313 runs, an innings which will always remembered as one of Younis Khan’s greatest knocks of all time.
#2 Matthew Hayden
Hundreds- 30, Fifty- 29
Matthew Hayden is one of the most fearsome test openers of all time, the strong stretched reach towards the dropping ball was a sight of delight. He made batting look easy as cake. He was the main reason behind Australia massive success across all continents for almost a decade. He was hard-hitting, ruthless and wasn’t afraid of charging down the wickets to pacers.
If his eyes are set at the crease, he made it count and scored big runs. On one fine day, he went on to score 380 against Zimbabwe breaking the Lara record of 375 runs at that time. His appetite for big runs attributed to his highest number of Test centuries in test cricket. He has 30 test centuries to his name, interestingly his conversion rate is better to greats like Sachin or Lara.
In his 103 test matches, he has smashed 8625 runs at an average of 50.73 including 30 hundred and 29 fifties.
#3 Michael Clarke
Hundreds- 28, Fifties- 27
Michael Clarke is another world-class batsman, who falls under the category of cricketers with more hundreds than the fifties. He has 28 hundred to his name, which is one more to his total number of test fifties in his 12 years long illustrious career.
In 115 test matches he played, the batsman has scored 8643 runs at an average of 49.10.
#4 Sir Donald Bradman
Hundreds- 29, Fifties- 13
Sir Donald Bradman is by far the best batsman the world has ever witnessed with an average of 99.94 in test cricket. His conversion rate was next to God. He has 29 test centuries and only 13 fifties to his name.
The legend has scored 6996 runs at an average of 99.94 in test cricket, a record which was later broken by little master Sunil Gavaskar.
#5 Virat Kohli
Hundreds- 27, Fifties- 22
Virat Kohli, the current world best batsman, and Indian skipper have a class of his own, which beyond the reach of any modern-day great. He never had a dream debut in test cricket, but he gradually cultivated his test batting skills and became the most consistent dreadful test batsman of modern-day generation.
Interestingly his hundred conversion rate is greater than fifty conversions, he has scored 27 test centuries, which is 5 more than his total number of the fifties. Let’s see how far he can maintain the same conversion pace. He has played 86 test matches till date and scored 7240 runs at an impressive average of 53.63 with a top score of 254*.
Also, Check:
- 6 Best Knocks in Test Matches
- List of Top 10 Batsmen Who Faced Most Balls In Test Cricket
- 5 Reasons Which Makes Test Cricket Better Amongst Three Formats
