Often hailed as the oldest and most prestigious formats, the majestic history of the test cricket format has witnessed numerous prominent cricketers, including Virat Kohli, Sir Donald Bradman, James Anderson, inevitable rivalries including England vs Australia (The Ashes), India vs Australia (Border-Gavaskar Trophy) and an unending streak of spine-chilling drama and memorable innings.
While smashing centuries and match-winning runs for their respective teams is often hailed as one of the most decorated achievements for international cricketers, staying on the pitch and facing the ruthless bowling attack of the opponent teams is also considered as one of the most crucial milestones for these sensational cricket players. Have you ever wondered about the top-notch cricketers who have created history after facing the highest number of deliveries in test cricket? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four cricketers who have faced most balls in the test cricket format.
Top 4 Cricketers Who Have Faced Most Balls in Test Cricket
Rahul Dravid, India – 31,258 Balls
The legendary Indian former cricket player, ex-captain and ex-coach of the Indian national cricket team, Rahul Dravid, is at the first spot in our list of the top four cricketers who have etched their names in the glorious history of Test cricket. Often popularly referred to as “Mr. Dependable” of the Indian cricket team, Rahul Dravid has represented India across all formats of international cricket from 1996 to 2012 and has also led the Indian side to a phenomenal streak of victories, including the iconic 2002 ICC Champions Trophy.
Throughout his glorious international cricketing career that spanned over sixteen long years, Rahul Dravid played a total of 164 test matches and amassed a total of 13,288 runs at a blistering average of 52.3. Additionally, Rahul Dravid proved to be a mainstay for the Indian national cricket team in the test format throughout his career and faced a total of 31,258 balls, which continues to be the highest ever total of balls faced by a cricketer in the test format.
Sachin Tendulkar, India – 29,437 Balls
Often popularly referred to as the “God of Cricket”, the legendary Indian former international cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is at the second spot in our list of the top four cricketers who have faced most balls in the test cricket format. Sachin Tendulkar represented India across all formats of international cricket from 1989 to 2012 and witnessed an extremely dominant and glorious career.
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Often hailed as one of the most deadly batsmen in the Test cricket format, Sachin Tendulkar played a total of 200 test matches and scored a phenomenal total of 15,921 runs at an unmatched average of 53.8. In addition to being one of the most annihilating batsmen for the opponent teams in test cricket, Sachin Tendulkar also established himself as one of the most consistent run-scorers for the Indian side in the format. Throughout his star-studded test career as the “Master-Blaster” of the Indian cricket team, Sachin Tendulkar faced a total of 29,437 deliveries, placing him at the second spot in our list.
Jacques Kallis, South Africa – 29,903 Balls
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four cricketers who have etched their names in the glorious history of Test cricket after facing most deliveries on highly-challenging and unpredictable pitches, we have the legendary former South African cricketer and current coach of the South African national cricket team, Jacques Kallis. Often hailed as one of the greatest all-rounders in the realms of international cricket, Jacques Kallis represented South Africa as a player in all formats of international cricket from 1995 to 2014.
Throughout his glorious international cricketing career that lasted for nearly two decades, the South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis played a total of 166 test matches and smashed a record total of 13,289 runs at a phenomenal average of 55.4 and a blistering strike rate of 46.0. Jacques Kallis played his career’s last test match against India at Kingsmead, Durban, from December 26-30, 2013. As per reports, Jacques Kallis faced a total of 29,903 balls throughout his test cricket career, which continues to be the third-highest total of deliveries faced by any cricketer in the test format.
Allan Border, Australia – 27,002 Balls
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four cricketers who have faced most balls in the test cricket format, we have Australian cricket commentator and former international cricketer, Allan Border, who represented Australia in all formats from 1978 to 1994. One of the most reliable middle-order batters of the Australian side, Allan Border held the world record for the number of consecutive Test appearances of 153, before it was surpassed by Alastair Cook in June 2018.
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Often popularly referred to as”A.B.”, the sensational Australian middle-order batsman, Allan Border, played a total of 156 test matches throughout his star-studded career and smashed a total of 11,174 runs at an average of 50.6, including 27 roaring centuries and a phenomenal total of 63 half-centuries. Additionally, Allan Border faced the fourth-highest total of 27,002 balls in the test format, which continues to be the fourth-highest total of deliveries faced by any cricketer in the test format as of July 2025.
