Playing 100 Test matches is a testament to a player’s skill, perseverance, and good fortune and Australian cricket sensation Steve Smith is on the brink of achieving this momentous milestone in his illustrious career.
Smith is set to join an elite group of players as the 75th cricketer to reach the coveted 100-Test mark. This milestone will be accomplished when he takes the field at Headingley for the third Test of the 2023 Ashes series.
Currently, a total of 74 players from various nations have accomplished the remarkable feat of playing 100 or more Test matches. Smith’s inclusion will elevate this prestigious group to 75, further solidifying his stature as one of the game’s greats.
With his entry into the 100-Test club, Smith will become the 15th Australian player to achieve this remarkable milestone. Australia will then equal England’s record for the most players in the 100-Test club from a single country.
As cricket enthusiasts await Smith’s momentous occasion, let us take a look at the country-wise breakdown of players who have achieved the distinction of featuring in 100 or more Test matches:
Australia: 15 players
- Ricky Ponting – 168
- Steve Waugh – 168
- Allan Border – 156
- Shane Warne – 145
- Mark Waugh – 128
- Glenn McGrath – 124
- Nathan Lyon – 122
- Ian Healy – 119
- Michael Clarke – 115
- David Boon – 107
- David Warner – 106
- Justin Langer – 105
- Mark Taylor – 104
- Matthew Hayden – 103
- Steve Smith – 100* (After the Headingley Test starts)
England: 15 players
- James Anderson – 181
- Stuart Broad – 164
- Alastair Cook – 161
- Alec Stewart – 133
- Joe Root – 132
- Ian Bell – 118
- Graham Gooch – 118
- David Gower – 117
- Michael Atherton – 115
- Colin Cowdrey – 114
- Geoffrey Boycott – 108
- Kevin Pietersen – 104
- Ian Botham – 102
- Andrew Strauss – 100
- Graham Thorpe – 100
India: 13 players
- Sachin Tendulkar – 200
- Rahul Dravid – 164
- VVS Laxman – 134
- Anil Kumble – 132
- Sunil Gavaskar – 125
- Dilip Vengsarkar – 116
- Sourav Ganguly – 113
- Virat Kohli – 109
- Ishant Sharma – 105
- Virender Sehwag – 104
- Harbhajan Singh – 103
- Cheteshwar Pujara – 103
West Indies: 9 players
- Shivnarine Chanderpaul – 164
- Courtney Walsh – 132
- Brian Lara – 131
- Viv Richards – 121
- Desmond Haynes – 116
- Clive Lloyd – 110
- Gordon Greenidge – 108
- Chris Gayle – 103
- Carl Hooper – 102
South Africa: 8 players
- Jacques Kallis – 166
- Mark Boucher – 147
- Hashim Amla – 124
- Graeme Smith – 117
- AB de Villiers – 114
- Shaun Pollock – 108
- Gary Kirsten – 101
- Makhaya Ntini – 101
Sri Lanka: 6 players
- Mahela Jayawardene – 149
- Kumar Sangakkara – 134
- Muttiah Muralitharan – 133
- Chaminda Vaas – 111
- Sanath Jayasuriya – 110
- Angelo Mathews – 104
Pakistan: 5 players
- Javed Miandad – 124
- Inzamam-ul-Haq – 120
- Younis Khan – 118
- Wasim Akram – 104
- Saleem Malik – 103
New Zealand: 4 players
- Daniel Vettori – 113
- Ross Taylor – 112
- Stephen Fleming – 111
- Brendon McCullum – 101
Note: The numbers alongside the players’ names indicate the number of matches they’ve played (before the start of the third Test of the 2023 Ashes).
