How the records tumbled - Fastest to Test Batting Milestones

How many more records could Don Bradman have broken if he played more?

After having covered the fastest bowlers to reach certain Test bowling milestones, let us look at the fastest to certain Test batting milestones. Since the wickets in the 1800s and early 1900s were uncovered, the bowlers who reached to certain milestones the earliest stayed unbeaten for long enough.

However, we have witnessed the fastest batting milestone records broken over and over with the advent of better bats and flatter pitches. Let us take a closer look at how the records tumbled.

Note: The list is sorted inning-wise and not match-wise.

1000 runs

Original Holder	Broken by	Matches	Innings	Record Date	Record Period	Years Held (Rounded Off)
Tom Hayward (Eng)		16	25	13-Dec-01	13-Dec-1901 – 17-Jan-1902	1 month
	Clem Hill (Aus)	14	24	17-Jan-1902	17-Jan-1902 – 15-Dec-1911	10
	Warren Bardsley (Aus)	11	21	15-Dec-1911	15-Dec-1911 – 19-Dec-1924	13
	Herbie Collins (Aus)	12	18	19-Dec-1924	19-Dec-1924 – 13-Feb-1925	2 months
	Herbert Sutcliffe (Eng)	9	12	13-Feb-1925	13-Feb-1925 – Present	90

Tom Hayward was the first to reach a 1000 international runs at the turn of the 20th Century. He was bettered by three Australians before English legend Herbert Sutcliffe achieved the feat in 12 innings which has been unbroken since.

The great Don Bradman took one innings more than Sutcliffe to reach a 1000 runs. Indian badboy Vinod Kambli took 14, another example of what he missed in his career due to indiscipline.

2000 runs

Original Holder	Broken by	Matches	Innings	Record Date	Record Period	Years Held (Rounded Off)
Clem Hill (Aus)		27	47	15-Jan-1904	15-Jan-1904 – 19-Aug-1912	8
	Jack Hobbs (Eng)	23	41	19-Aug-1912	19-Aug-1912 – 21-Jul-1928	16
	Herbert Sutcliffe (Eng)	22	33	21-Jul-1928	21-Jul-1928 – 27-Nov-1931	3
	Donald Bradman (Aus)	15	22	27-Nov-1931	27-Nov-1931 – Present	84

Having missed the 1000 run mark, Sir Don Bradman was by some distance the fastest to reach 2000 runs in International cricket. Such is the audacity of Bradman’s record is that George Headley of West Indies, the second fastest to this milestone took 10 innings more than the Don!

3000 Runs

Original Holder	Broken by	Matches	Innings	Record Date	Record Period	Years Held (Rounded Off)
Jack Hobbs (Eng)		35	60	14-Jun-1924	14-Jun-1924 – 13-Jun-1930	6
	Herbert Sutcliffe (Eng)	33	52	13-Jun-1930	13-Jun-1930 – 23-Feb-1933	3
	Donald Bradman (Aus)	23	33	23-Feb-1933	23-Feb-1933 – Present	82

There is a reason why the Don is called the greatest player to ever occupy the crease in the cricketing field. The statistics show just that. As is the case with 2000 runs, the Don achieved the 3000 run mark in 33 innings, 18 less than Everton Weekes of the West Indies occupying the second spot. Talk about greatness.

4000 runs

Original Holder	Broken by	Matches	Innings	Record Date	Record Period	Years Held (Rounded Off)
Jack Hobbs (Eng)		45	75	26 Jun 1926	26 Jun 1926 – 10 Feb 1933	6
	Herbert Sutcliffe (Eng)	43	68	10 Feb 1933	10 Feb 1933 – 1 Jan 1937	4
	Donald Bradman (Aus)	31	48	1 Jan 1937	1 Jan 1937 – Present	78

We can almost see a pattern here. Jack Hobbs was the first to each of these milestones who was beaten to it by Sutcliffe. Then the Don came into the picture and the rest, as they say, is history.

5000 runs

Original Holder	Broken by	Matches	Innings	Record Date	Record Period	Years Held (Rounded Off)
Jack Hobbs (Eng)		55	91	8 Mar 1929	8 Mar 1929 – 22 Jul 1938	9
	Donald Bradman (Aus)	36	56	22 Jul 1938	22 Jul 1938 – Present	77

The Don consolidated his position at the top with some elan. He took 35 innings less than Jack Hobbs to reach the coveted 5000 run mark. No other player has beaten even Jack Hobbs yet, let alone the great Don Bradman.

6000 runs

Original Holder	Broken by	Matches	Innings	Record Date	Record Period	Years Held (Rounded Off)
Wally Hammond (Eng)		70	114	24 Dec 1938	24 Dec 1938 – 1 Jan 1948	9
	Donald Bradman (Aus)	45	68	1 Jan 1948	1 Jan 1948 – Present	47

The Don, unfortunately, fell four runs short of 7000 test runs making his last appearance on the list. Who knows how many more records may have tumbled had the great man played more matches than he did.

7000 runs

Original Holder	Broken by	Matches	Innings	Record Date	Record Period	Years Held (Rounded Off)
Wally Hammond (Eng)		80	131	17 Aug 1946	17 Aug 1946 – Present	69

Wally Hammond of England was the first to breach the 7000 run mark and has stayed at the top henceforth. Indian stalwarts Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar came closest to breaking the long-standing record, requiring 134 and 136 innings respectively.

8000 runs

Original Holder	Broken by	Matches	Innings	Record Date	Record Period	Years Held (Rounded Off)
Garfield Sobers (WI)		91	157	16 Feb 1974	16 Feb 1974 – 18 May 2002	28
	Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)	96	154	18 May 2002	18 May 2002 – 3 Aug 2010	8
	Kumar Sangakkara (SL)	91	152	3 Aug 2010	3 Aug 2010 – Present	5

WI all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers became the first to breach the 8000 run mark way back in 1974. He was beaten to the milestone by Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar in 2002. Tendulkar’s record, however, didn’t last too long either when Sangakkara took over the mantle in 2010.

9000 runs

Original Holder	Broken by	Matches	Innings	Record Date	Record Period	Years Held (Rounded Off)
Sunil Gavaskar (Ind)		110	192	13 Dec 1985	13 Dec 1985 – 2 Jan 2004	18
	Brian Lara (WI)	101	177	2 Jan 2004	2 Jan 2004 – 30 Jun 2006	2
	Rahul Dravid (Ind)	104	176	30 Jun 2006	30 Jun 2006 – 3 Nov 2011	5
	Kumar Sangakkara (SL)	103	172	3 Nov 2011	3 Nov 2011 – Present	4

Rahul Dravid features in the list for the first time, holding the record for five years before Sanga reached the milestone four innings sooner.

10,000 runs

Original Holder	Broken by	Matches	Innings	Record Date	Record Period	Years Held (Rounded Off)
Sunil Gavaskar (Ind)		124	212	4 Mar 1987	4 Mar 1987 – 12 Aug 2004	17
	Brian Lara (WI)	111	195	12 Aug 2004	12 Aug 2004 – Present	11

Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara also took exactly 195 innings to reach 10,000 runs, joint fastest to the milestone alongside Brian Lara.