Test cricket soared to incredible heights in the recently concluded five-match tussle between India and England. Both teams took red-ball batting to levels rarely seen in the modern era, all too dominated by the T20 format.Team India broke their all-time record for runs in a Test series during the final Test at the Oval, amassing a remarkable 3,809 runs. India and England apart, several batters from other sides have risen through the ranks in Test cricket over the past few months.The 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final saw one of the all-time great Test knocks from South Africa's Aiden Markram, and the start of the new cycle is already promising many such memorable essays.On that note, let us look at the top 10 Test batters in world cricket on the back of the extraordinary England-India series.Honorable Mentions: Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul, Jamie Smith, Saud Shakeel, Travis Head#10 Rachin RavindraNew Zealand's young sensation Rachin Ravindra has taken to Test cricket like fish to water over the past year. After a couple of poor seasons in 2021 and 2022, the southpaw broke through in the red-ball format in 2024, averaging 42.78 in 12 games.Ravindra played a massive role in New Zealand's incredible 3-0 win over India in India, scoring a century and a half-century in the series. The 25-year-old has scored 705 runs in Tests over the past 12 months at an average of over 44.#9 Steve SmithAustralian stalwart Steve Smith continues to dominate Test cricket like very few have in the sport's rich history. Even in a supposedly down phase of his stellar career, the 36-year-old is averaging over 46 with four centuries in the last 12 months.Smith has been in incredible form in Tests since the start of 2025, averaging 51.50 in six matches. The champion batter played a crucial role in Australia regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home against India.Smith scored back-to-back centuries at Brisbane and Melbourne to help Australia turn their fortunes from a 0-1 deficit. He achieved the remarkable 10,000-run feat in Tests in the following series in Sri Lanka in February, scoring consecutive centuries at Galle.#8 Shubman GillTeam India skipper Shubman Gill has scripted a turnaround for the ages in the Test format with his performances in the recent England series. Despite boasting an impressive average of over 43 in 2024, the youngster was dropped during the Australian series at the end of the year.However, his batting went up several notches after being appointed Test captain in the five-match series in England. Gill finished with an extraordinary 754 runs at an average of over 75, including four centuries, in the five Tests.During the process of scoring big runs for fun, the right-hander also broke several records, including becoming India's top scorer in a Test innings in England with 369. Gill has over 1,100 runs in the last 12 months at an average of 52.20 with five centuries.#7 Temba BavumaSouth African captain Temba Bavuma etched his name in the nation's sporting history book by leading the side to the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) title. Leadership aside, the diminutive right-hander was also a model of consistency for the Proteas throughout the 2023-25 WTC cycle, especially on challenging home pitches.The 35-year-old averages an outstanding 55.45 in six Tests over the last year, including two centuries and four half-centuries. His 66 in the final innings of the WTC final against Australia at Lord's helped South Africa chase down 282 to lift the prestigious trophy.#6 Ben DuckettEngland opener Ben Duckett has utilized an unorthodox approach at the top of the order to achieve incredible recent success at the Test level. The left-hander is one of the few batters in world cricket equally adept at playing swing, seam, and spin.Duckett is the third leading run-scorer in Tests over the last 12 months with 1,230 runs at an average of 45.55, including three centuries.Apart from his brilliant 149 in the series opener against India at Leeds, the southpaw also showcased his ability to combat the subcontinental conditions with a 114 against Pakistan in Multan at the end of last year.#5 Yashasvi JaiswalIndia's attacking opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is inarguably one of the five best Test batters in world cricket. The 23-year-old has been India's leading run-scorer in the long format over the past year with 1,181 runs at an average of almost 41.Jaiswal has been tested in alien conditions more than most batters in the past few months with back-to-back five-Test series in Australia and England. Yet, the southpaw has come out with flying colors, scoring three centuries and four centuries across the two series.#4 Kamindu MendisSri Lanka's young talent, Kamindu Mendis, has clearly shown the mettle of a batter here to stay in Test cricket for several years. With an admirable combination of technique and strokeplay, the 26-year-old has been the rock to the Lankans' otherwise suspect batting lineup.Mendis has scored almost 900 runs in the past 12 months at an average of 52.23 with three centuries. The youngster scored a brilliant century against England at Manchester at the same time last year and followed that with sublime centuries against New Zealand at home.#3 Harry BrookThe leader of the next generation of Test batting, Harry Brook, comes in at No.3. The 26-year-old has scored the second-most runs in Tests since the same time last year.Over the past 12 months, the exciting right-hander has scored a triple century in Pakistan, followed by back-to-back tons in New Zealand. Brook was adjudged England's Player of the Series in the recent five-match affair against India, scoring two centuries and a 99.#2 Rishabh PantTeam India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant continues to be opposition teams' worst nightmare, thanks to his unconventional yet consistent run-scoring in Tests. The left-hander has scored almost 1,200 runs in the last 12 months at an average of 46.24 and a strike rate of over 75.Beyond the numbers, Pant is one of the few batters who rattles the opposition, making it easy for his batting partners to enjoy success. The 27-year-old scored twin centuries in the series opener against England, followed by three half-centuries in the next five innings to help India secure a 2-2 draw.#1 Joe RootEngland's champion batter Joe Root is at the mountain top in Tests, thanks to his extraordinary ability to peel off runs like clockwork. The 34-year-old is the leading run-scorer in Tests over the last 12 months with over 1,500 runs at an average of 63.16, including a sensational seven centuries.While scoring centuries in each of the last three Tests against India, Root also became Test cricket's second all-time leading run-scorer with 13,543 runs. The right-hander has made the seemingly improbable task of breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record for most Test runs inevitable with his Bradmanesque scoring over the past half-decade.