Test cricket is one format where players go on to build their careers not by scoring at a fast rate, but by making innings with patience and fight. Interestingly, some of these batters have a rare difference; their batting average is higher than their strike rate. These players have gone on to be the legends of the game, breaking numerous records and building a legacy of their own.
Today, CricTracker takes a look at five such legendary batters whose batting average has been more than their strike-rate. While the list is not inclusive of all the names in the list, it does have some players who are still active in the red-ball internationals, while a few have hung up their boots from the purest format of the game.
5. Steven Smith
Australia’s modern-day great Steve Smith‘s Test batting average (56.55) is higher than his strike rate (53.59). Having recently crossed the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket, Smith joined an elite list, doing so in just 115 Tests, joint second-fastest alongside Kumar Sangakkara. He has not dipped below a 55 average in any of his last 78 consecutive Tests.
In the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle, he averages 50.05, the third-highest among players with 2000+ runs and 13 tons. The right-handed batter played a huge role in guiding Australia to their second WTC final. However, the side failed to defend their title, losing to South Africa in the summit clash. Smith himself smashed a fifty in the first innings, but perished early in the subsequent innings.
4. Kane Williamson
New Zealand’s stalwart Kane Williamson is another player in this list with a batting average (54.88) being higher than his strike rate (51.78). In 105 Tests, he has scored 9,276 runs, including 33 centuries and 37 fifties. The Tauranga-born, who is part of the fab-four is one of the most consistent batters in the world. Under his captaincy, the Kiwis lifted the inaugural WTC title in 2021, defeating a strong Indian team led by Virat Kohli.
He took a conscious call of stepping down as white-ball skipper to shift his focus to batting and prolonging his heydays in cricket. The decision seemed to have worked wonders for the pro batter, as in the previous WTC cycle, the 34-year-old ended as his side’s highest run-scorer with 1152 runs in 22 innings at an average of 54.85 and a strike rate of 54.13.
3. Jacques Kallis:
Jacques Kallis, who is arguably the finest all-rounder the game has seen, has a batting average of 55.37 and a strike rate of 45.97 in Test cricket. Kallis made an early name for himself with a hundred at the MCG in 1997. The South African cricketer ended with 45 centuries and over 13000 runs in 166 games.
Apart from being a terrific batter, he has also handy contributions with the ball, which made him one of the finest all-rounders in world cricket, as he scalped 292 wickets in the format. The strong all-rounder was a main member of the Proteas’ batting lineup from 1995 to 2014 and was involved in many memorable wins.
2. Kumar Sangakkara:
Sri Lanka’s batting great, Kumar Sangakkara’s batting average of 57.40 is among the highest in Test cricket history. The southpaw hammered 12,400 Test runs, which came at a strike rate of 54.19. In 134 Tests, Sangakkara hammered 38 centuries and 52 fifties, including a triple century (319) and a century in the same match against Bangladesh, a feat only he and Graham Gooch have accomplished.
The legendary left-handed batter breached past the 12,000-run mark in just 224 innings, the fastest in history. His multiple accolades in the international arena also earned him an ICC Hall of Fame, shortly after the wicketkeeper-batter called it quits to the game he loved the most.
1. Rahul Dravid:
Rahul Dravid’s brilliance in Test cricket is well known to everyone. The Indian legend’s batting average of 52.31 alongside a strike rate of 42.51 shows how he excelled in the red-ball format for a number of years. Over a career spanning 16 years and 164 Tests, he hammered 13,288 runs in 31,258 deliveries, the most in Test history. His 270 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, where he batted for over 740 minutes, is one of the longest innings ever by an Indian.
The Indore-born had a mindful approach while batting in the longest format of the game saw him tire out opposition bowlers by making them bowl long spells and forcing them to work hard for wickets. Known for his patience and grit in the middle, Dravid’s resilience is still given as a case study for thriving in Test cricket, which has also earned him massive respect by the cricket pundits and fans alike.