Home Statsman The leading batsmen among Test captains In cricket, the captain becomes part player, part selector or even part coach/mentor. He must be able to successfully balance the various pressures. Mohandas Menon 02 June, 2020 22:11 IST West Indies legend Brian Lara after scoring the unbeaten 400 against England in 2004. - FILE PHOTO/ GETTY IMAGES Mohandas Menon 02 June, 2020 22:11 IST The captain of a cricket team, at times also referred to as the skipper, is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of the 10 others in the playing XI. In cricket, the main role of the captain is to act as a sort of intermediary between the coaching staff and the rest of the team. He becomes part player, part selector or even part coach/mentor, and must be able to successfully balance the various pressures that come with the multiple responsibilities.As in any other sport, the captain is usually the person who is the most experienced in the squad. However, there have been several instances in Test cricket where the captain has been the least experienced member of the squad.The captain also needs to have good communication skills and is most likely to be a certainty in the playing XI, as he is responsible for the team selection. It is his task to go out for the toss before the start of a match and then take a call as to whether his side bats or fields first. During the match, the captain decides the team’s batting order, which bowler will open the bowling, who are his first and second bowling changes, and where each fielder will be positioned. While the captain has the final say, decisions taken on the field or in the dressing rooms are often collaborative. A captain’s knowledge of the complexities of cricket strategy and tactics, and shrewdness in the field may contribute significantly to the team’s success. Excelling as a cricket captain requires the incumbent to have a thorough understanding of how the game is played, the ability to strategise, and at the same time lead his teammates both on and off the field.READ| Who is the best Test cricket captain of them all? Nowadays, with the coaching and support staff as part of the squad, the captain’s decision-making responsibilities are less of a burden. This allows him to fully concentrate on his skills, which are either batting or bowling and at times both. However, despite all that, the captain of a cricket team typically shoulders more responsibility for results than team captains in other sports.The second part of our series on Test captains looks at their batting performances.Highest Test scores by captainsScoreCaptainCountryOpponentVenueDateResult400*Brian LaraWest IndiesEnglandSt John’sApril 12, 2004Drawn374Mahela JayawardeneSri LankaSouth AfricaColombo (SSC)July 29, 2006Won334*Mark TaylorAustraliaPakistanPeshawarOctober 16, 1998Drawn333Graham GoochEnglandIndiaLord’sJuly 27, 1990Won329*Michael ClarkeAustraliaIndiaSydneyJanuary 5, 2012Won Mahela Jayawardene celebrates hi 374 against South Africa in Colombo in 2006. - FILE PHOTO/ GETTY IMAGES Progressive highest Test scores by captains – how the record changed handsScoreCaptainCountryOpponentVenueDateResult52Lord HarrisEnglandAustraliaThe OvalSeptember 6, 1880Won153*Billy MurdochAustraliaEnglandThe OvalSeptember 8, 1880Lost211Billy MurdochAustraliaEnglandThe OvalAugust 12, 1884Drawn270Don BradmanAustraliaEnglandMelbourneJanuary 6, 1937Won285*Peter MayEnglandWest IndiesBirminghamJune 4, 1957Drawn311Bob SimpsonAustraliaEnglandManchesterJuly 25, 1964Drawn333Graham GoochEnglandIndiaLord’sJuly 27, 1990Won334*Mark TaylorAustraliaPakistanPeshawarOctober 16, 1998Drawn400*Brian LaraWest IndiesEnglandSt John’sApril 12, 2004Drawn Highest Test scores by captain at each batting positionPositionScoreCaptainCountryOpponentVenueDateResult1334*Mark TaylorAustraliaPakistanPeshawarOctober 16, 1998Drawn2311Bob SimpsonAustraliaEnglandManchesterJuly 25, 1964Drawn3400*Brian LaraWest IndiesEnglandSt John’sApril 12, 2004Drawn4374Mahela JayawardeneSri LankaSouth AfricaColombo (SSC)July 29, 2006Won5329*Michael ClarkeAustraliaIndiaSydneyJanuary 5, 2012Won6234Don BradmanAustraliaEnglandSydneyDecember 17, 1946Won7270Don BradmanAustraliaEnglandMelbourneJanuary 6, 1937Won8257*Wasim AkramPakistanZimbabweSheikhupuraOctober 20, 1996Drawn9111Shaun PollockSouth AfricaSri LankaCenturionJanuary 20, 2001Won1074Jack BlackhamAustraliaEnglandSydneyDecember 15, 1894Lost1128*Bob WillisEnglandPakistanBirminghamJuly 31, 1982WonNote: Blackham was also wicketkeeper in this match. Sir Don Bradman. - THE HINDU ARCHIVES Leading run-getters in Tests as captainRunsCaptainCountryTests as captainInningsAveragePeriod8,659Graeme SmithSouth Africa+10919347.84April 24, 2003-March 5, 20146,623Allan BorderAustralia9315450.95December 7, 1984-March 29, 19946,542Ricky PontingAustralia7714051.51March 8, 2004-December 29, 20105,233Clive LloydWest Indies7411151.30November 22, 1974-January 2-19855,156Stephen FlemingNew Zealand8013540.60February 14, 1997-December 18, 20065,142Virat KohliIndia559061.21December 9, 2014-March 2, 2020+ Includes one Test for ICC World XI.Test run landmarks as captainRunsCaptainCaptainAchieved on1,000Archie MacLarenEnglandJuly 5, 19022,000Don BradmanAustraliaNovember 28, 19473,000Don BradmanAustraliaJuly 27, 19484,000Greg ChappellAustraliaDecember 10, 19825,000Clive LloydWest IndiesDecember 7, 19846,000Allan BorderAustraliaJuly 23, 19937,000Graeme SmithSouth Africa+November 17, 20118,000Graeme SmithSouth Africa+January 11, 2-13+ Includes one Test for ICC World XI.Fewest innings to aggregate landmark Test runs as captainRunsInningsTestsCaptainCountryAchieved on1,000116Don BradmanAustraliaJune 14, 19382,0002415Don BradmanAustraliaNovember 28, 19473,0003723Don BradmanAustraliaJuly 27, 19484,0006539Virat KohliIndiaSeptember 2, 20185,0008653Virat KohliIndiaNovember 22, 20196,00012167Ricky PontingAustraliaJanuary 17, 20107,00015085Graeme SmithSouth Africa+November 17, 20118,00017599Graeme SmithSouth Africa+January 11, 2-13Note: England’s Graham Gooch also took 15 Tests to reach his 2,000th run as captain.+ Includes one Test for ICC World XI.Most Test centuries as captainCenturiesCaptainCaptainTests as captainInningsAveragePeriod25Graeme SmithSouth Africa+10919347.84April 24, 2003-March 5, 201420Virat KohliIndia559061.21December 9, 2014-March 2, 202019Ricky PontingAustralia7714051.51March 8, 2004-December 29, 201015Allan BorderAustralia9315450.95December 7, 1984-March 29, 199415Steve WaughAustralia578352.31March 5, 1999-January 6, 200415Steve SmithAustralia346070.37December 17, 2014-March 26, 2018Most 200-plus scores as Test captain: 7 by Virat Kohli, 5 by Brian Lara, and 4 each by Don Bradman, Graeme Smith and Michael Clarke.Most Test centuries by captains – how the record changed handsCentury No.1CaptainScoreCountryOpponentVenueDateResult1Billy Murdoch153*AustraliaEnglandThe OvalSeptember 8, 1880Lost2Billy Murdoch211AustraliaEnglandThe OvalAugust 12, 1884Drawn3Warwick Armstrong123*AustraliaEnglandMelbourneFebruary 14, 1921Won4Herbie Taylor102South AfricaEnglandDurbanFebruary 22, 1923Lost5-14Don Bradman102*AustraliaEnglandLord’sJune 28, 1938Drawn15Allan Border105AustraliaNew ZealandBrisbaneDecember 5, 1993Won16-19Ricky Ponting123AustraliaIndiaBangaloreOctober 9, 2008Drawn20-25Graeme Smith100South AfricaPakistanDubaiNovember 12, 2010Drawn Most runs in a calendar year as captainRunsCaptainCountryYearTestsInningsAverageHundredsFifties1,656Graeme SmithSouth Africa2008152572.00661,595Michael ClarkeAustralia20121118106.33451,544Ricky PontingAustralia2005152867.13661,381Bob SimpsonAustralia1964142660.04371,364Alastair CookEngland2015142654.5638 Most hundreds in a calendar year as captainHundredsCaptainCountryYearTestsInningsRunsAverageFifties7Ricky PontingAustralia200610181,33388.8746Graeme SmithSouth Africa200815251,65672.0066Steve SmithAustralia201711201,30576.7636Ricky PontingAustralia200515281,54467.136 Highest Test score in very first Test match as captainScoreCaptainCountryOpponentVenueDateResult239Graham DowlingNew ZealandIndiaChristchurchFebruary 23, 1968Won203*Shivnarine ChanderpaulWest IndiesSouth AfricaGeorgetownApril 1, 2005Drawn191Clem HillAustraliaSouth AfricaSydneyDecember 9, 2010Won190Joe RootEnglandSouth AfricaLord’sJuly 7, 2017Won173Alastair CookEnglandBangladeshChittagong (DS)March 13, 2010Won163Clive LloydWest IndiesIndiaBangaloreNovember 26, 1974WonNote: Lloyd’s knock came in the second innings.Highest Test match run aggregate in very first Test as captainAggregateScoresCaptainCountryOpponentVenueMonth, yearResult256115 and 141Virat KohliIndiaAustraliaAdelaideDecember 2014Lost244239 and 5Graham DowlingNew ZealandIndiaChristchurchFebruary 1968Won232123 and 109*Greg ChappellAustraliaWest IndiesBrisbaneDecember 1975Won203203*Shivnarine ChanderpaulWest IndiesSouth AfricaGeorgetownApril 2005Drawn212173 and 39Alastair CookEnglandBangladeshChittagong (DS)March 2010WonNote: Chappell and Kohli are the only players to make centuries in each innings in their debut Test as captain.Captains carrying the bat through an innings as an openerScoreCaptainTotalMatch inningsCountryOpponentVenueDateResult73*Bill Woodfull^193a4AustraliaEnglandAdelaideJanuary 19, 1933Lost127*Jackie McGlew2921South AfricaNew ZealandDurbanDecember 8, 1961Won49*Bill Lawry1073AustraliaIndiaDelhiNovember 30, 1969Lost60*Bill Lawry116a4AustraliaEnglandSydneyJanuary 14, 1971Lost127*Sunil Gavaskar2863IndiaPakistanFaisalabadJanuary 8, 1983Lost154*Graham Gooch2523EnglandWest IndiesLeedsJune 9, 1991Won94*Michael Artherton^2282EnglandNew ZealandChristchurch (LP)February 16, 1997Won169*Mark Taylor3502AustraliaSouth AfricaAdelaideFebruary 2, 1998Drawn165*Chris Gayle3173West IndiesAustraliaAdelaideDecember 8, 2009DrawnNote: Jackie McGlew is the only captain to do it on the opening day of a Test match.a one batsman did not bat/was injured^ batted at No. 2Highest Test scores by captains while following onScoreCaptainCountryOpponentVenueDateResult237Salim MalikPakistanAustraliaRawalpindiOctober 9, 1994Drawn176Alastair CookEnglandIndiaAhmedabadNovember 19, 2012Lost164Alec StewartEnglandSouth AfricaManchesterJuly 6, 1998Drawn153*Billy MurdochAustraliaEnglandThe OvalSeptember 8, 1880Lost150*Mike GattingEnglandPakistanThe OvalAugust 11, 1987DrawnNote: In all, 18 centuries have been scored by captains while following on. No one has been able to do it more than once. To be continued... Read more stories on Statsman. For more updates, follow Sportstar on :