Top 5 Test Batsmen of the decade

This decade has been one of revolutions in Test cricket. Amidst the fear of Test cricket going out of favour, some big changes have been brought about in a bid to keep the oldest format of cricket alive. Sporting pitches, day-night Tests with the pink ball are some important measures taken by the ICC to attract more crowds to Test cricket.

Talking about these changes, the life of batsmen has just become a little difficult. Pitches have become more result-oriented which means batsmen do not get easy wickets to pile runs on. Having said that, batsmanship has evolved in this decade where batsmen have found ways to tackle difficult surfaces.

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Also, this decade has seen some of the greats of the game bid adieu to Test cricket. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid, Kumar Sangakkara have retired in the past ten years. This has led to a transition phase in most teams. There are a few players who have put their hands up during these difficult times and raised the bar of Test cricket. Here are 5 best Test batsmen of the decade.

#5 Kane Williamson (Matches - 76, Runs - 6322, Average - 52.68)

Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson made his Test debut in 2010 against India at Ahmedabad. He struck a well-compiled century in his very first innings and announced himself at the big stage. Williamson slowly established himself as the premier batsman of the New Zealand Test team.

The Kiwi star has played some measured innings for his side and has been the backbone of the team in the last decade. His ability to bat fluently against quality spin bowling makes him a class player. Another commendable part of Williamson's staggering Test numbers is the fact that he had the added responsibility of captaining the side in half of these matches.

#4 Alastair Cook (Matches - 111, Runs - 8818, Average - 46.41)

Alastair Cook

Alastair Cook is one of England's greatest batsmen of all time. Cook began his career in a stunning fashion as he scored more than a thousand runs in his very first year in Test cricket. Cook carried on the good form as he scored runs consistently for England at the top of the order. At one point of time, Cook was tipped to break Sachin Tendulkar's record of most Test centuries. Cook was given the reins of the Test side after his predecessor, Andrew Strauss' retirement in 2012. The left-hand batsman led his side brilliantly through the years and ended up as England's one of the most successful captains.

Talking about his batting, Cook never really had a poor run of form except in 2013 and 2014 where he averaged in the early thirties. Cook announced his retirement in 2018 after ending his career as England's highest run-getter in Test cricket.

#3 Hashim Amla (Matches - 85, Runs - 6695, Average - 49.96)

Hashim Amla

Hashim Amla had been the batting mainstay for South Africa for years. The stylish right-hand batsman has been exceptional for the Proteas as he has played some gritty innings for the side. The calmness and serenity that Amla brings to the table is incomparable. Playing most of his cricket on the bouncy and challenging wickets in South Africa, Amla has been able to keep his average close to 50 in the last decade.

The South African opener has also been extremely effective on the slow sub-continent pitches. Also, some of the greats of South African cricket like Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher hung up their boots during this time which meant extra responsibility on Amla. His vulnerability to fast bowling increased in the latter part of his career. His form dipped in the last two years as he averaged 26.84 and 27 in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Amla retired after the 2019 World Cup.

#2 Virat Kohli (Matches - 84, Runs - 7202, Average - 54.97)

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has just grown from strength to strength as time has progressed. There weren't any doubts about Kohli's talent and cricketing acumen but unfortunately, he wasn't at his best in Test cricket in the initial part of his career. Always a great player in limited-overs cricket, Kohli found it difficult to score runs consistently in Test cricket. Kohli's poor outing against England in the away series in 2014 raised serious questions about his technique in the longest format.

But nothing could have deterred Kohli as he kept working on his shortcomings and eventually started making big runs in Test cricket as well. He scored runs all over the world especially in trying conditions of Australia, England and South Africa. His ability to score runs against quality bowling attacks and in tough batting conditions has been the standout feature of his batting. The Indian captain is currently the top-ranked Test batsman in the world.

#1 Steve Smith (Matches - 70, Runs - 7013, Average - 63.75)

Steve Smith

Steve Smith has redefined Test cricket batting in more ways than one. Smith's technique is not one that you associate with the greats of the game and still, he has somehow managed to score runs with his outrageous methods. Starting his career as a spin-bowling all-rounder, Smith slowly started to make his mark as a batsman. Smith's quick hands and brilliant hand-eye coordination made life difficult for the opposition bowlers.

The former Australian captain has scored runs in all types of conditions. His aggressive approach against the spinners has earned him big rewards in India. The 30-year-old was handed a one-year ban because of his involvement in the sandpaper gate incident. In spite of that, he came back strongly and has scored 814 runs at a sensational average of 90.44 in 2019.