Ashes History: 5 batsmen with the most runs in Ashes Tests 

The most prestigious Test series in the history of cricket, The Ashes, will enter its 71st edition as England host Australia for a 5-match Test series starting from 1 August 2019. Till date, Australia and England have battled in 70 Ashes series where the former have won the urn 33 times and the latter have done it 32 times. Five of the 70 series didn't produce a winner.

This Test series got the name ‘The Ashes’ in the year 1882. When the Aussies recorded their first ever Test victory on English soil, the English journalists claimed that English cricket had died, and so the 'dead body' would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. Ivo Bligh, the then English skipper, then promised to bring those ashes back from Australia, continuing the legend of the nomenclature.

A replica of the Ashes urn

The winner of this series does not get a huge piece of silverware but a 6-inch tall urn made of terracota. The fans believe that the urn contains the ashes of a burnt cricket ball.

It is the dream of every Australian and English cricketer to do well in the Ashes and earn the respect of his countrymen. On that note, here are the five batsmen who have emerged as heroes for their nations by scoring the most runs in Ashes history -

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#5 David Gower - 3037 runs

David Gower, England

Matches - 38, Innings - 69, Runs - 3037, Highest Score - 215, Average - 46.01

England’s former left-handed top order batsman David Gower had better numbers in the Ashes as compared to his overall Test statistics. Gower played 38 matches for England in the prestigious series and batted in 69 innings where he aggregated 3,037 runs at an impressive average of 46.01.

He slammed 9 hundreds and 11 half centuries his 13-year long Ashes career. His highest score was 215.

The veteran retired from international cricket in 1992 after playing his last Test against Pakistan. Co-incidentally, he had made his Test debut versus the same opposition.

#4 Steve Waugh - 3173 runs

Steve Waugh

Matches - 45, Innings - 72, Runs - 3173, Highest Score - 177*, Average - 58.75

Sydney-born right-handed batsman Steve Waugh made a name for himself by playing Test cricket for Australia from 1985 to 2004. Just like David Gower, Waugh started and ended his career against the same opposition, India. He played 168 Tests for Australia of which 45 came in the Ashes.

Waugh batted in 72 Ashes innings scoring 3,173 runs at an average of 58.75. He hit 10 centuries and 14 fifties in his Ashes career which lasted 17 years.

Though he got out for a duck 6 times, the right-hander also remained not out in 18 innings.

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#3 Allan Border - 3222 runs

Allan Border Australia Captain with the Ashes 1989

Matches - 42, Innings - 73, Runs - 3222, Highest Score - 200*, Average - 55.55

Australia’s first World Cup winning captain Allan Border holds the 3rd position in this countdown thanks to his 3,222 runs in 42 Ashes matches. Nicknamed AB, the left-handed batsman made his Test debut in the 1978-79 Ashes. The young Border played a patient knock of 29 (115) in his first Test innings for Australia before getting run out for a duck in the 2nd innings.

However, the Aussie performed exceptionally well after that as he added over 3,000 runs in the next 41 Ashes matches. He scored 7 hundreds and 19 fifties in his 15-year long Ashes career.

#2 Sir Jack Hobbs - 3636 runs

Jack Hobbs

Matches - 41, Innings - 71, Runs - 3636, Highest Score - 187, Average - 54.26

The legendary Sir Jack Hobbs amassed over 61,000 runs in first class cricket, in a career that spanned over 29 years from 1905 to 1934. The right-handed batsman maintained his fine performances at the international level as well; he played 61 Tests of which 41 were against Australia in the Ashes.

Hobbs is one of only two batsmen to have aggregated over 3,500 runs in Ashes history. He struck 12 centuries and 15 half-centuries in his iconic Ashes career. His average of 54.26 is remarkable, and he played a strong role in many of England's wins over the course of the rivalry.

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#1 Sir Donald Bradman - 5028 runs

Sir Don Bradman

Matches - 37, Innings - 63, Runs - 5028, Highest Score - 334, Average - 89.78

An interesting fact to note here is that among all the batsmen featuring in this list, Sir Donald Bradman had played the fewest number of matches. The Aussie legend played only 37 matches in the Ashes but he scored 5,028 runs at an unbelievable average of 89.78.

Nicknamed the Don, Bradman recorded his best score of 334 in the Ashes. Another surprising statistic about Bradman is that he got out for a duck 6 times in his Ashes career, which even includes his last international match for Australia.

Bradman’s duck in his farewell match did not allow him to retire with an average of 100 in Test cricket. Nevertheless, the right-handed batsman still remains one of the most respected names in the history of cricket, and his Test career will be cherished by every generation to come.