Test cricket is the premier format of the sport. The players don white jerseys, and a red ball is used for this form of the game. Earlier, there was no limit on the number of days a Test match would last, but as the years passed, the organizers put a cap of five days on this form.
The beauty of Test cricket is that even if a team dominates the opening phase of the game, the opposition team can always make a comeback. The number seven position is vital for a recovery in Tests. If the top-order batsmen depart early, the number seven batsman has the responsibility to rebuild the knock.
Not every batsman could play well at this position. But here are the eight players who scored the most runs at number seven position in Test matches.
8. Kapil Dev – 2861 runs
Former Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev has played a massive role in the growth of Indian cricket. He led the nation to the World Cup in 1983.
Dev could bat and bowl equally well. Playing at number seven in Tests, Kapil scored 2,861 runs at an average of 31.10. It is noteworthy that the legendary player registered five centuries at this position.
7. Alan Knott – 2870 runs
Former English batsman Alan Knott played Test cricket from 1967 to 1981. He represented his country in 95 Tests, where he batted in 149 innings.
Knott majorly batted in the lower middle-order. He aggregated nine runs more than Kapil Dev at this position, and his batting average at number seven was 41.
6. MS Dhoni – 2871 runs
Mahendra Singh Dhoni mastered the art of batting with the tail-enders in Test matches. The right-handed batsman from Ranchi recorded two Test hundreds at this position.
Dhoni scored 2,871 runs and edged Alan Knott by one run to attain the sixth position on this list. He holds the record for the most Test runs by an Indian batsman at number seven.
5. Mark Boucher – 2939 runs
Former South African wicket-keeper batsman Mark Boucher made a name for himself with his keeping skills. Boucher was not so great at batting, but he played many crucial knocks for South Africa.
Talking about his statistics at number seven, Boucher aggregated 2939 runs at an average of 26.01. He registered one of his five Test centuries at number seven.
4. Rod Marsh – 3009 runs
Australia is the only country to have batsmen with over 3,000 Test runs at number seven. Rod Marsh is one of them as the 73-year-old scored 3,009 runs at this position.
The southpaw aggregated these runs at a batting average of 26.39. It is pertinent to note that Marsh was the first batsman to score 3,000 Test runs at number seven.
3. Brad Haddin – 3010 runs
Former Australian wicket-keeper batsman Brad Haddin held the number seven position for a long time in the Aussie Test team. He played 92 innings at this number.
The right-handed batsman aggregated 3,010 runs and slammed four hundreds after coming out to bat at 7. He was one of the critical reasons behind Australia’s success in the early 2010s.
2. Ian Healy – 3041 runs
Another wicket-keeper batsman from Australia to make his presence felt here is Ian Healy. The 56-year-old played Test cricket for Australia from 1988 to 1999.
He represented his country in 119 Test matches and batted at number seven in 121 innings. Healy scored 3,041 runs at an average of 27.65, recording four centuries.
1. Adam Gilchrist – 3948 runs
Adam Gilchrist showed the world that even a wicket-keeper could score big runs. The southpaw started as a number seven batsman and then became an opener.
Gilchrist played 100 Test innings at number seven and scored 3,948. The highlighting statistics of his Test career were his 12 hundreds at number seven in Tests.
