Top 5 run-scorers in Tests in 2019

Team India finished 2019 without losing a Test series and remained unbeaten throughout the year. Contrary to 2018, India played most of the test matches at home this year and continued its unprecedented dominance in home conditions.

The cricketing universe has witnessed some engrossing and alluring Test matches in 2019 which demonstrated the true entertainment provided by Test cricket. Sri Lanka's incredible victory against South Africa at Durban and Australia's shocking defeat against England were the two such Test matches that act as an alibi to the aforementioned statement.

Kusal Perera(153*) played arguably one of the best Test innings of all time and was the chief architect behind Sri Lanka's monumental victory against South Africa. Ben Stokes(135*) played his best Test innings to date and single-handedly took the English team home at Headingley after his team was bundled out for 67 runs in the first innings of the Test.

Apart from these spectacular individual performances, we have seen some consistent performances from several stalwarts and upcoming cricketers. So in this slideshow, we will look at some of the batsmen who have been consistently performing right from the start of this year.

Let's take a look at the members of the top ten of this list:

#10 Joe Denly(ENG) - 651 runs

#9 Quinton de Kock(SA) - 713 runs

#8 David Warner(AUS) - 725 runs

#7 Travis Head(AUS) - 742 runs

#6 Mayank Agarwal(IND) - 754 runs

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#5 Ben Stokes (ENG) - 821 runs

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes had a phenomenal year with the bat as he played two career-defining knocks, one each in Test and ODI cricket. His match-winning performances in the 2019 World Cup final match and 3rd Ashes Test have shown his true potential to the cricketing universe.

In 11 matches he played this year, he has scored 821 runs at an impressive average of 45.61, including 2 centuries and 4 fifties with the highest score of 135* against Australia in the Ashes.

He mostly batted at the number 5 position in the English batting line up and lent some credibility to the inexperienced middle order. On numerous occasions, he stitched up useful partnerships with the tail-enders and resurrected England's position in the Test match.

#4 Rory Burns (ENG) - 824 runs

Rory Burns

England has been struggling to find a quality opener since Alastair Cook retired from Test cricket. They tried several players but none have secured their place by scoring consistently. Rory Burns's emergence this year has solved the opening problem for the English team.

He has played 12 matches and scored 638 runs at an average of 35.82 which includes 2 centuries and 5 half-centuries. He played a few gritty knocks this year and provided much-needed solidity at the top order for his team.

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#3 Joe Root (ENG) - 851 runs

Joe Root

England's Test skipper, Joe Root has had a roller coaster year with the bat. He batted at the crucial number 3 position in the high-pressure Ashes series and failed to perform consistently. He moved to his favored number 4 position after the Ashes and scored a double hundred against the New Zealand team.

He is at the 3rd place among top run-scorers with 851 runs in 12 matches this year at an average of 37. He hit 2 centuries and 4 half-centuries this year. He will finish yet another year as his team's leading run-scorer in Tests.

#2 Steve Smith (AUS) - 965 runs

Steve Smith

After missing international cricket for a year, Steve Smith made an emphatic return to the Test cricket arena earlier this year. His astonishing performances in Ashes series reinstated his stature as the premier Test batsman of this generation.

He displayed immaculate levels of consistency and almost single-handedly led the Aussies batting lineup in all the matches he played in that series. He accumulated more than 700 runs in that series and cemented his legacy as a modern-day great.

Steve Smith has been quiet during the home Test series against Pakistan and New Zealand teams. Top-order batsmen like Warner and Labuschagne have scored the bulk of runs so Smith didn't have much left to do.

Smith played 8 Test matches this year and scored 965 runs at an average of 74.23 including 3 centuries and 4 fifties. He finished the year as the second-highest scorer in the world just behind his teammate.

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#1 Marnus Labuschagne (AUS) - 1104 runs

Marnus Labuschagne

Australia's batting unit struggled during the last season because of the absence of David Warner and Steve Smith which resulted in some disappointing Test defeats. The batting department looked like it was heavily reliant on the experienced duo but the rise in stocks of Marnus Labuschagne in 2019 helped in settling this issue.

Labuschagne had a break out year in Test matches this year and reduced the run-scoring burden on his senior teammate Steve Smith. He scored consistently this year and cemented the crucial number 3 spot in the Aussies Test XI.

Labuschagne has played 11 Test matches this year and scored 1104 runs at an impressive average of 64.94 including 3 centuries and 7 fifties with the highest score of 185 against the Pakistan team.