On Wednesday (June 28), Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon made history by becoming the first bowler in Test cricket to feature in 100 consecutive Test matches for an international side. This remarkable achievement was accomplished as he was named in Australia’s playing XI for the second Ashes Test against England at Lord’s. Lyon has taken 495 wickets from 121 Tests and has not missed a single Test for Australia since August 1, 2013. He is the third Australian player and sixth overall to achieve this rare feat. Here are five other players who have played 100 or more consecutive Test matches for their respective national teams.
Brendon McCullum (101)
Brendon McCullum, the current head coach of England and former captain of New Zealand, was known for his fearless batting in any format of the game. As a result, he is seen as the mastermind behind England’s current aggressive style of playing Test cricket. Throughout his Test career, McCullum played 101 consecutive Tests from 2004 to 2016 for the Black Caps, scoring 6,453 runs with the bat at an average of 38.64, including 12 centuries. He was never dropped from the New Zealand Test side throughout his red-ball career, thanks to his urge to take the attack against the opposition and play big innings. McCullum was versatile in the Black Caps’ batting order, batting from opening the inning to No.9. He captained the red-ball side in 31 matches between 2013 and 2016 and is credited with bringing significant changes in the culture of New Zealand cricket during his reign.
Sunil Gavaskar (106)
Sunil Gavaskar, one of the greatest batsmen of all time, played 125 Test matches throughout his career, scoring 10,122 runs at an average of 51.12, including 34 centuries and 45 fifties. He dominated with the bat for two decades, which is considered the golden era of Test cricket. His outstanding technique, tenacity, and patience made him stand out from the rest of the batters of his time. Gavaskar scored an impressive 774 runs in his debut Test series, which India famously won against West Indies and West Indies. Despite playing in the era of West Indies’ stunning domination of the game, the former India captain scored a lot of runs against them. Gavaskar played 106 consecutive Tests between 1975 and 1987, was the first to reach 10,000 runs in the Test format, and held the record for most Test centuries for a long time.
Mark Waugh (107)
Mark Waugh, one of the most stylish batters in Australian cricket history, was also a reliable bowler who could find crucial breakthroughs. He played 128 Test matches over 11 years and scored 8,029 runs at an average of 41.81 while picking up 59 wickets at 41.16. From June 3, 1993, to October 19, 2002, Waugh played 107 consecutive Tests for the Aussies, with his last Test against Pakistan in Sharjah. He held the record for most catches in Test cricket – 181 until Rahul Dravid broke it in 2009. Currently, he ranks fifth on the list of most catches in Tests.
Allan Border (153)
Allan Border is credited with turning Australia into an indomitable force in world cricket. He was a defiant batter, which didn’t please the bowlers who had to bowl to him.Border set Australia’s mantra to win a match at all costs. He held the record for most Test matches as captain until Graeme Smith broke it in 2012. Border scored 11,174 runs in 156 Tests at an average of 50.56. He played an incredible 153 consecutive Tests over 15 years. During his glittering international career, he completed 156 catches. Allan Border retired in 1994 as the most capped Test player, with the most consecutive Tests, most catches by a player in Tests, and most Tests as a captain.
Alastair Cook (159)
In 2018, during England’s second Test at Lord’s against Pakistan, Sir Alastair Cook surpassed Allan Border’s record for most consecutive Test matches by a player, which had stood for 24 years.Cook and his Test captaincy successor Joe Root jointly hold the record for the youngest batters to score 10,000 Test runs at 31 years and 157 days. Although Cook was expected to break legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 15,921 runs, the southpaw announced his retirement from international cricket in 2018, when he was just 33. With 12,472 runs in 161 Tests at 45.35, Cook remains England’s highest run-getter in the red-ball format. He still plays for Essex in County cricket.
