Most Test Centuries in a Calendar Year
| Player | Matches | Innings | 100 | High Score | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Yousuf (PAK) | 11 | 19 | 9 | 202 | 2006 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 10 | 18 | 7 | 196 | 2006 |
| Viv Richards (WI) | 11 | 19 | 7 | 291 | 1976 |
| Aravinda de Silva (SL) | 11 | 19 | 7 | 168 | 1997 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 14 | 23 | 7 | 214 | 2010 |
| Garry Sobers (WI) | 8 | 13 | 6 | 365* | 1958 |
| Denis Compton (ENG) | 9 | 15 | 6 | 208 | 1947 |
| Matthew Hayden (AUS) | 11 | 17 | 6 | 197 | 2002 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 11 | 18 | 6 | 257 | 2003 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) | 11 | 18 | 6 | 162 | 2009 |
| David Warner (AUS) | 9 | 18 | 6 | 145 | 2014 |
| Jacques Kallis (SA) | 11 | 19 | 6 | 201* | 2010 |
| Jonny Bairstow (ENG) | 10 | 19 | 6 | 162 | 2022 |
| Steven Smith (AUS) | 11 | 20 | 6 | 239 | 2017 |
| Steven Smith (AUS) | 13 | 24 | 6 | 215 | 2015 |
| Graeme Smith (SA) | 15 | 25 | 6 | 232 | 2008 |
| Damien Martyn (AUS) | 14 | 26 | 6 | 161 | 2004 |
| Michael Vaughan (ENG) | 14 | 26 | 6 | 197 | 2002 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 15 | 28 | 6 | 207 | 2005 |
| Joe Root (ENG) | 15 | 29 | 6 | 228 | 2021 |
| Joe Root (ENG) | 17 | 31 | 6 | 262 | 2024 |
Key Insights
The year 2006 was a magical one for Mohammad Yousuf. His run-spree in that year included the record for most runs in Tests in a calendar year – 1788 and also the record for the most centuries in a calendar year in Tests – nine. His average that year was an impressive 99.33!
Ricky Ponting in that same year had hit seven Test centuries (Some year that was for Test Cricket). It included three double centuries too, which is the second-most 200s count in a single year. And way back in 1976, Vivian Richards had hit seven Test centuries too.
Two other legendary players, Aravinda De Silva during his prime time in 1997 and Sachin Tendulkar in 2010, also scored seven Test centuries.
Ponting and Matthew Hayden are the two batters to score five or more hundreds in four calendar years each. Heyden was the first to do so in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005 and is the only one to do it in three consecutive years. Ponting levelled Hayden’s record with five-plus Test hundreds in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006.
Notably, Don Bradman was the first batter to smash five Test centuries in a single year. The Australian great had hit five hundreds each in 1931 and 1948. Bradman’s insane Test cricket records include 29 Test centuries and 12 double hundreds.
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