6 current Test batsmen averaging above fifty :- The list of top 6 batsmen, who are currently active in the circuit and averaging over 50.0 includes players from India, Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand, all of whom have played a minimum of 20 innings.
The list is as follows:-
- Steven Smith (Australia)
Smith averages a huge 61.05 from his 54 Test matches (100 innings). Having made his debut in July, 2010, he has accumulated 5,251 runs, remaining unbeaten on 14 occasions, with 215 runs as his individual best. He also has 20 centuries and 20 half-centuries to his credit.
In the tour against India, Smith was the leading scorer with an accumulation of 499 runs from 8 innings (unbeaten once) at an excellent average of 71.28 with a personal best of an unbeaten 178* runs. He also had 3 centuries to his credit.
- Joe Root (England)
Having featured in 53 matches (98 innings – unbeaten on 11 occasions), Root is averaging 52.80. His tally is 4,594 runs with 254 runs as his personal best. He also has 11 centuries and 27 half-centuries to his credit.
In the series against India in 2016, Root ranked second in the list of top run-getters (behind India’s Virat Kohli), when he aggregated 491 runs from 10 innings at an average of 49.10 with 124 runs being his personal best. He also had a century and 4 half-centuries.
- Cheteshwar Pujara (India)
Pujara is the third on the list with 50+ average in Tests amongst players who have featured in a minimum of 20 innings and are currently in the circuit. Playing in 81 innings (48 Tests) and remaining unbeaten on 7 occasions, Pujara has a total of 3,798 runs at an average of 51.32 with an unbeaten 206* as his individual best. He also has 11 centuries and 15 half centuries to his credit. Pujara played a stellar role in both the home series – against England and Australia in 2016-17.
The Saurashtra batsman, who plays only in the longer format, notched up 401 runs against England from 8 innings at an average of 50.12 with 124 as per individual high. He also had 2 centuries and a half-century to his credit.
He aggregated 405 runs against Australia from 7 innings at an average of 57.85 with 202 runs as his individual best. He also notched up a century and a couple of half-centuries.
- Quinton de Kock (South Africa)
The South African wicket-keeper batsman averages a decent 51.26 in Test matches. Having made his debut against Australia at Port Elizabeth in February, 2014, the 24-year old south-paw has featured in 19 games (30 innings – unbeaten 4 times) and has a tally of 1,333 runs with an unbeaten 129* as his personal best score. Three centuries and nine half-centuries are also credited to him.
Playing against New Zealand in the drawn Third Test at Hamilton in March 2017, de Kock notched up 90 runs in the first innings and had three useful partnerships in the process – 42 runs for the 6th wicket alongwith Faf du Plessis (53), 29 runs for the 7th wicket alongwith Vermon Philander (11) and 30 runs for the 8th wicket with Keshav Maharaj (9).
- Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
The current Test skipper of New Zealand averages 51.16 from 61 Test matches (110 innings – unbeaten 10 times), having accumulated 5,116 runs with an unbeaten 242* runs being his personal best knock. Kane also has notched up 17 centuries and 25 half-centuries in the process.
Playing at home against South Africa in the three-Test series, Williamson had scored 309 runs from 4 innings at an average of 77.25 with a personal best knock of 176 runs that came in the drawn Third and final Test in Hamilton. He also scored a couple of centuries.
- AB de Villiers (South Africa)
The 33-year old South African legend and the most destructive batsman on display, averages a decent 50.46 in the longer format of the game. Featuring in 176 innings (unbeaten on 16 occasions) from 106 encounters, de Villiers has an accumulation of 8,074 runs with a magnificent unbeaten 278* runs as his best score.
Playing in the Fourth and Final Test against England at Centurion in January 2016, de Villiers returned with ‘a pair’ (could not open the account in both the innings).