Players who have played the most innings at each batting position in Test cricket

Test cricket is the ultimate performance benchmark for any player and only the best can survive the challenges and come out with flying colours in the longest format of the game.

The 5-day format demands dedication, patience and immense concentration from the players and someone who has done well in this format is almost certain to find life in the shorter formats of the game a lot easier.

Every player has a role to play in Test cricket and there are some who have dominated a particular position in the line-up like no other.

Let's take a look at the players who have played the most innings at each batting position in Test history.

# Opener - Alastair Cook (England) - 257 innings

Alastair Cook has been a constant figure in the England Test since making his debut against India in 2006 apart from missing the third Test of the series with a stomach illness and has since played 147 times on the trot for the national side in Test cricket.

257 of Cook's 270 Test innings have come as an opener, the most in Test history, and he is the only player to score more than 10000 runs as a Test opener.

He has scored 29 Test centuries as an opener, including his highest score of 294 against India at Edgbaston in 2011 while his other two Test tons have come at the No 3 spot, where interestingly, Cook has a higher batting average of 52.55 when compared to 45.34 as an opener.

There is no doubt though as to where Cook prefers to bat as he has nailed down the England opener slot even after being removed as skipper of the Test side.

#3 Rahul Dravid (India) - 219 innings

Dravid made the No 3 spot his own for India, scoring 28 centuries from that position

The Number 3 position is one of vital importance in Test cricket and Rahul Dravid made the spot his own for the majority of his career, scoring more than 10000 runs batting one-down.

Dravid is the fourth highest run-getter in Test history and formed part of the Big 4 for India for a number of years alongside Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman.

Blessed with solid technique and temperament, Dravid came to the side's rescue on numerous occasions and though he had a tough start to his career, especially in ODIs, he played with a level of consistency that his place in the side was never in doubt.

219 of his 286 Test innings came at the Number 3 spot, more than any other player in history. However, the record for most runs scored at the position belongs to Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 11679 runs compared to Dravid's tally of 10524, despite playing 12 innings lesser at one-down than the Indian.

Dravid scored 28 Test centuries as a number 3 batsman and his highest Test score of 270 against Pakistan at Rawalpindi was also achieved batting from that spot.

#4 Sachin Tendulkar (India) - 275 innings

Tendulkar is the leading run-getter in Test cricket history

Another Indian, who is no stranger to records and landmarks, makes it to the list at Number 4. Standing head and shoulders above his nearest competitors is Sachin Tendulkar, who came into bat at the No 4 spot for India a record 275 times.

Though Tendulkar used to open the batting for India in ODIs, in Tests, he only batted as an opener once, scoring 15 runs. It was in the middle order that he found his rhythm, batting at number four for the majority of his career.

The leading run-scorer in Test cricket history with 15921 runs to his name, Tendulkar scored 13492 runs, including 44 hundreds at an average of 54.40, batting at the number four position for India in Tests.

His nearest competitor for the leading run-getter at the No 4 spot is Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene who scored 9509 runs - nearly 4000 runs less than Tendulkar's tally batting at number 4.

#5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies) - 151 innings

Chanderpaul is the seventh highest run-getter in Test history

West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul is the player who has the most number of times at the number 5 position in Test cricket history with 151innings to his name - 9 more than former Australian skipper Steve Waugh.

The seventh-leading run-scorer in Test history, Chanderpaul often fought a lone battle for West Indies, especially after Brian Lara's retirement.

However, only 6883 of his 11867 runs came when he batted at the number five spot, as he played more than 100 innings at number three, four and six.

In fact, Chanderpaul's batting average when he has come into bat at Number 6 is an astonishing 64.82, when compared to his average of 56.42 when batting at 5.

Chanderpaul batted at the Number 5 spot though for the majority of his career, where the team needed him the most and scored 19 of his 30 Test hundreds batting from that position.

#6 Ian Botham (England) - 94 innings

Ian Botham is regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the game's history

Former England skipper and one of the greatest all-rounders in the game's history, Ian Botham is the player who has batted at the number six position in Tests more than anyone (94) in the game's history.

He was an inspirational figure who was brilliant with both bat and ball, scoring more than 5000 Test runs and picking up 383 wickets from 102 matches.

At number 6, Botham played 94 innings, scoring 2690 runs at an average of 29.24, which was much lower than his career average of 33.55 and his average while batting at No. 5& 7, which was a high 53.22 and 40.27 respectively.

Botham's highest Test score of 208 was also achieved while batting at Number 5.

Despite playing 15 innings lesser than Botham's tally at number six, it is Australia's Steve Waugh who holds the record for most runs scored from that position, scoring 3165 runs from 79 innings.

#7 Mark Boucher (South Africa) - 124 innings

Boucher was an ever-present in the South African side before an eye injury forced him into retirement

Australia's Adam Gilchrist might be the record-holder for most Test runs scored as a number 7 batsman, but the record for most innings played at the position belongs to former South African wicketkeeper-batsman Mark Boucher with 124 innings to his name.

The Number 7 spot has traditionally been the wicketkeeper's slot and it is no surprise no find that Boucher's nearest competitors are Australia duo of Ian Healy and Rodney Marsh who have played 123 and 121 Test innings respectively at No 7.

Boucher was an ever-present in the South African side since making his Test debut in 1997 against Pakistan and is their second-most capped player behind the legendary Jacques Kallis having played 147 matches.

From 124 innings as a No 7 batsman, Boucher scored 2939 runs, including one century, at an average of 26.

#8 Shane Warne (Australia) - 113 innings

Warne narrowly missed out on a Test century after being dismissed for 99 against New Zealand

One of the greatest players in the history of the game, Australia's Shane Warne is the player who has batted at the number 8 position the most number of times in Test history.

New Zealand's Daniel Vettori is the record holder for most runs scored as a No 8 batsman with 2227 runs from just 67 innings.

Apart from his astounding ability with the ball, Warne was a more than useful batsman as his 12 Test half-centuries prove. From 113 innings at Number 8, Warne scored 2005 runs at an average of just above 19.

He fell agonisingly short of a Test hundred when he was dismissed for 99 against New Zealand at the WACA in December 2001.

#9 Curtly Ambrose (West Indies) - 97 innings

Curtly Ambrose scored 973 runs as a No 10 batsmen in Test cricket

One of West Indies' all-time greatest fast bowlers, Curtly Ambrose played 98 Tests picking up 403 wickets and formed a deadly partnership with Courtney Walsh for the best part of his career.

His ability with the bat was far less impressive and it is no surprise that he holds the record for most innings played as a number 9 batsmen in Tests.

He did score a half-century though, that too against Australia during a Test at Port of Spain in 1991.

Ambrose scored 973 runs from 97 innings as a No 9 batsman at an average of 12.01. Stuart Broad of England is the player who has scored most runs as a No 9 batsman in Test history with 1257 runs from 66 innings.

#10 Bishan Singh Bedi (India) - 69 innings

Bedi scored an undefeated half-century against New Zealand at Kanpur in 1976

Part of the famous spin quartet for India of the 1960s and 1970s, Bishan Singh Bedi played 66 Tests, captaining the side in 22 of them and picked up 266 wickets.

His one and only ten-wicket haul in Test cricket came against Australia at Perth in December 1977 proving that he was brilliant with the ball at both home and away conditions.

An outspoken cricketer who was no stranger to controversies even during his playing days, Bedi played 69 innings as a No 10 batsman, scoring 470 runs at an average of 9.03.

He also scored an undefeated half-century against New Zealand at Kanpur in 1976.

The record for most runs scored from the position belongs to South Africa's Dale Steyn who has scored 502 runs from 49 innings.

#11 Glenn McGrath (Australia) - 128 innings

McGrath celebrates after scoring his one and only Test half-century against New Zealand

Australia's legendary fast bowler Glenn McGrath is the record holder for most innings played as Test Number 11 with 128 innings - 6 more than his nearest competitor in West Indies' Courtney Walsh.

McGrath is the world's leading wicket-taker amongst fast bowlers in Test history with 563 wickets but was an easy prey with the bat in hand.

He did, however, work on his batting towards the latter part of his career, even scoring a Test half-century against New Zealand at Brisbane in 2004.

The record for most runs scored from the Number 11 position in Test belongs to Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan who scored 623 runs from 87 innings.