There was a time when bowlers ruled the roost in Test cricket. However, the landscape of the game’s most prestigious format has changed. Nowadays, it’s the batters who dominate. The recently concluded India vs England Test series continued that trend, creating a historic first in the 148-year history of Test cricket. The five-match Test series in England saw both teams achieve an unprecedented milestone.
Batters reigned supreme throughout the India vs England Test series. For the first time in Test cricket history, nine batters from both sides scored 400 or more runs in a single series. The list includes five Indian players and four English players. From India, the batters are Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. From England, the players are Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, and Harry Brook.
The first-ever Test match was played in 1877, and the first official Test series took place in 1884. In the 141 years since then, never before have more than eight batters scored over 400 runs in a single Test series. Previously, eight batters crossed the 400-run mark during the 1975–76 West Indies vs Australia series and again in the 1993 Ashes.
At the top of the run chart for this series is Indian captain Shubman Gill, who amassed 754 runs in five Tests, including four centuries. Joe Root is second with 537 runs. KL Rahul is close behind with 532 runs. Ravindra Jadeja follows in fourth with 516 runs, and Rishabh Pant is fifth with 479 runs. Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, and Yashasvi Jaiswal also scored more than 400 runs each.
