This article examines the surge in batting dominance in Test cricket since 2020. It focuses on the prolific scoring of Joe Root and historic record-breaking feats by associate and top-tier players alike.
Most Test Centuries Since 2020
| Player | Innings | 100 | High Score | Innings Per 100 | Total Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Root (ENG) | 134 | 24 | 262 | 5.6 | 6584 |
| Kane Williamson (NZ) | 55 | 12 | 251 | 4.6 | 3082 |
| Steven Smith (AUS) | 90 | 11 | 200* | 8.2 | 3599 |
| Harry Brook (ENG) | 60 | 10 | 317 | 6.0 | 3178 |
| Travis Head (AUS) | 84 | 10 | 175 | 8.4 | 3511 |
| Shubman Gill (IND) | 73 | 10 | 269 | 7.3 | 2843 |
| Ollie Pope (ENG) | 107 | 9 | 205 | 11.8 | 3568 |
| Usman Khawaja (AUS) | 82 | 8 | 232 | 10.2 | 3342 |
| Marnus Labuschagne (AUS) | 93 | 8 | 215 | 11.6 | 3509 |
| Najmul Hossain Shanto (BAN) | 69 | 8 | 163 | 8.6 | 2250 |
Discover All “Since 2020” Cricket Records
Most Runs in All Formats Combined Since 2020
Most Wickets in All Formats Combined Since 2020
Most Runs for India in All Formats Combined Since 2020
Most ODI Runs for India Since 2020
Most Test Centuries Since 2020
Key Insights on Prolific Test Centurions Since 2020
Joe Root’s Test Records & Milestones Since 2020
Joe Root is the only batter to score more than 20 centuries in Test cricket since 2020. Root has scored around 54 per cent of his hundreds on home soil in England, with the rest coming on overseas tours.
Root is the only batter to smash more than 10 hundreds in away Tests since 2020.
Root is also the lone batter to aggregate more than 5000 runs in the Test format since 2020.
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow have scored the joint-most Test centuries in a calendar year since 2020, with both batters scoring six centuries each (Root in 2021 and 2023; Bairstow in 2022).
Root is the only batter to smash five or more Test centuries in three different years since 2020, with 2022 (five tons) being the other year.
Root is the only non-Asian batter to score more than 10 Test centuries against Asian teams since 2020.
Check: Joe Root Test Centuries Year by Year Since His Debut
Record-Breaking Captaincy and Milestone Innings
The highest Test individual score since 2020 belongs to South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder, who scored an unbeaten 367-run knock against Zimbabwe in the 2025 Bulawayo Test.
Mulder’s unbeaten 367* is also the highest individual score by a captain in Tests since 2020.
Wiaan Mulder also boasts the fastest Test triple ton since 2020, reaching the 300-run mark in just 297 balls.
Joe Root brought up eight of his hundreds while leading England, the most by a captain in Tests since 2020.
Root has scored nine of his centuries against India, the most by a batter against a single opponent since 2020.
Najmul Hossain Shanto is the only batter to score centuries in both innings of a Test match twice since 2020, achieving this against Afghanistan (2023) and Sri Lanka (2025).
High-Speed Milestones and Regional Records
Travis Head smashed the fastest Test century since 2020, off just 69 balls against England in the 2025 Perth Test.
Ollie Pope has scored the fastest Test double century of the decade, off 207 balls against Ireland in the 2023 Lord’s Test.
Kane Williamson and Joe Root have converted three or more centuries into double centuries in Tests since 2020.
India’s KL Rahul is the only Asian batter to smash five or more Test centuries in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries since 2020.
