5 Leading Test centurions in the current era

Test centuries are regarded as a unique distinction. Out of the 4000+ cricketers who have played Test cricket, only 44 cricketers have scored over 20 Test centuries till date. Sachin Tendulkar is the only player in cricket history to be part of the elite 50-century club, whereas Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting are part of the 40-century club with 45 and 41 tons respectively.

10 players are a part of the illustrious 30-century club started by the great Sunil Gavaskar, which currently includes Kumar Sangakkara, Rahul Dravid, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardena, Younis Khan, Alastair Cook, Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden and Shiv Chanderpaul.

The above list includes some former greats who have retired from the game. However, among the players who are actively playing cricket, none of them has breached the 30-century mark.

Let us see who leads the pack for Test centuries among the players who are currently playing Test cricket.

#5 Kane Williamson - 19 centuries

Part of the modern day "Fab 4", Kane Williamson is a champion batsman who also captains the New Zealand Test side. Williamson burst onto the scene after a successful U-19 World Cup in 2008, after which he was inducted in the New Zealand Test side. He started off with a bang in 2010 scoring a debut hundred against India in Ahmedabad on a turning track.

Over the years, Williamson has built up a reputation as a consistent run-getter in all conditions across the world. He has scored Test centuries in New Zealand, Australia, India, England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, West Indies and UAE. If Williamson is successful in scoring a Test hundred in South Africa, he will be the third player after Rahul Dravid and Younis Khan to score Test hundreds in all the Test-playing nations.

With his technical prowess and stroke-making ability, he is already leading the illustrious list of Test centurions for New Zealand. King Kane is sure to make many more centuries in the years to come.

#4 David Warner - 21 centuries

David Warner is an explosive Australian opener, who burst onto to the scene as a T-20 specialist in 2010. But to everyone's surprise, he molded his game to suit the game's oldest format. Warner has been a true match winner for Australia in Tests and possesses an enviable record in home conditions. He has scored 15 Test centuries for Australia, out of which, only one came in a losing cause.

Warner's three centuries were one of the main reasons why Australia won in 2014 against South Africa in South Africa. However, barring a couple of hundred against Bangladesh and a solitary hundred in UAE, Warner has struggled to come to terms with the sub-continental conditions. Warner has been on the touring party to India a couple of times and he has been failed to score a hundred against the number one Test side in the world.

Warner, who is currently serving a ban, will be hoping to score truckloads of runs in the 2019 Ashes series in England against an English bowling attack that is known to hunt in pairs.

#3 Steve Smith - 23 centuries

Steve Smith is arguably one of the most consistent Test batsmen in the modern era. Part of the modern day "Fab 4", Smith averages a whopping 61.37 which is the third-highest Test average in cricketing history. He is also the fastest to 23 Test hundreds after the great Sir Don Bradman. To everyone's amazement, Smith started his career as a leg-spinner in 2010 and gave up bowling in 2013 to become a batting phenomenon in Test cricket.

Smith has scored centuries all over the world and continues to be a dominant presence in Australia's batting. His performances in the sub-continent have earned him praises, as he scored three centuries against a rampant India in 2017, handling the spinners with great skill and ability. Only two of his 23 centuries have come in a losing cause and both of them came away from home.

Smith has been controversy's favorite child and has been penalized for his role in the ball-tampering saga. Once he serves his ban, it would be interesting to see his impact as a Test batsman, as Australia have many important tours lined up.

#2 Virat Kohli - 25 centuries

The above picture perfectly summarizes Virat Kohli as a cricketer. He is not a batsman, he is a batting monk who meditates on the pitch.

Kohli was regarded as a one-day specialist and took some time and a few matches to get going in Test cricket. During India's tour of Australia in 2012, the great man scored his maiden Test hundred in Adelaide. After some impressive centuries against New Zealand, England and Australia in home conditions, Kohli showed his class by scoring counter-attacking hundreds against South Africa and New Zealand in overseas conditions in the 2013/14 season.

Kohli's form dipped in 2014 against England, but he made a thumping comeback by becoming the first ever Asian batsman to score four centuries in a single series in Australia. He buried the ghosts of England in 2014, scoring 593 runs with two centuries in 2018. From the time he was handed captaincy, King Kohli has been unstoppable, scoring 18 centuries in 67 innings. He is also the fastest to 25 Test centuries after the great Sir Don Bradman.

If Kohli continues his run-scoring ways, it won't be a surprise to see the modern-day ton-machine entering the elite 40-century club which is a definite possibility, considering that he is only 30.

#1 Hashim Amla - 28 centuries

A definite surprise, but its a fact!

Hashim Amla leads the pack with 28 centuries amongst the players who are currently playing Test cricket. Alastair Cook's retirement in 2018 has made Amla take the top spot in the century-makers list of active players.

One of the most underrated batsmen of all-time, Amla has been a mainstay in South Africa's batting line-up. He made is debut in 2004 against India, but soon showed his worth in the home series against New Zealand by raking up his maiden hundred in 2006.

Amla's reputation as a batsman enhanced when he scored three centuries in four Test innings against India in 2010. He was in rampaging form and Indian bowlers had no clue on how to get him out. He scored a terrific triple hundred against England and followed it up with another champion knock of 121 at Lord's.

12 out of his 28 centuries have come away from home, and Amla has proved his mettle as a top batsman scoring runs on dust bowls, green seamers and also the hard and bouncy tracks of Australia. He has been on a gradual decline and needs to rediscover his mojo if he has to enter the illustrious 30-century club.