8 fastest batsmen to reach 25 centuries in Tests

Test cricket, as the name suggests is by far the most testing format in the game of cricket. All the batsmen have a desired dream to play at the international level and perform for their respective nations but they want to excel in this format.

Test cricket has a long history attached with it and a number of masters of the sport took centre stage across different eras of the game and managed to imbibe their names into the history books forever. They completely transformed the way the game is played and motivated the coming generations.

A Batsman is often defined on the number of hundreds he has scored in his career. It shows his longevity in the game of cricket.

Also, if the career is long, one might tend to get more opportunities at scoring centuries. Many of the players would have had a dream to score just an elusive hundred like how a five or ten-wicket haul is a dream for any bowler.

While scoring Test hundred is no mean achievement, there have been several greats of the game who have done it as many as 25 times or beyond. Some of them were pretty quick to reach the milestone and thus we take a look at the eight fastest batsmen to do so in the history of Test Cricket.

#8 Ricky Ponting

Australia’s most successful captain, and one of the most prolific batsmen of the modern era, Ricky Ponting, completed this feat in 156 innings which makes him the eighth fastest to do so.

He led a ruthless Aussie side to the pinnacle of the game and it stood there for a long time. He himself led right from the front and was never shy to give the opposition a piece of his mind.

He made 41 Test hundreds which makes him third in the list most centuries scored by a player of all time. He scored a massive 13,378 Test runs in his illustrious career.

#7 Hashim Amla

Having a technique of his own, this South African has mesmerized the audiences with his style and panache as a batsman. He is a very respected lad given his high standards of sportsmanship.

Hashim Amla scored his 25th Test Century against England in the early part of 2016. He just then relinquished his captaincy and was on a rough patch till his back to back hundreds which include his 25th.

He took just 155 innings to reach the milestone making him the 7th fastest to achieve the milestone. He had a poor start to his career since his debut in 2004 but after a struggle, he began to make a name for himself in all the formats of the game. He will end up as one of the best players South Africa has ever produced.

Till date, he has scored 28 Test centuries having made over 9000 runs at an outstanding average of more than 47 in 119 Tests.

#6 Gary Sobers

Gary Sobers reached the milestone in his 147th Innings

Perhaps the greatest all-rounder in the history of the game. There is nothing that this man has not achieved in Test cricket. Arguably the most complete cricketer to have ever played the game, Sir Garfield Sobers was superb with the bat as well as ever versatile with the ball in hand.

He was a vital member of the invincible Caribbean side in his days as his team ruled cricket for many years. He will always be remembered as the man who was the first ever batsman to hit six sixes in as many balls.

It took him just 147 innings to get his 25th Test century that too in such testing times. He got 26 tons to his name and 8032 Test runs to go with it at a marvellous average of over 57 in 93 matches he played for the West Indies.

#5 Matthew Hayden

The destructive opener from the land of Kangaroos was a nightmare for any bowler in all format of the game particularly whites. He gets off from the word go and just about blow away bowler in his sight with his mighty presence and stroke play.

Taking the game on its head came naturally to him and he single-handedly decimated the opposition on his hay day. The reason the Australian side stayed on top of their game for so long had a lot to do with how ‘Haydos’ performed consistently at the top of the order. He used his long handle to good effect as he changed the dynamics of Test cricket.

He reached the mark of 25 Test centuries in a mere 139 innings. His illustrious Test career included a total of 30 tons and a giant figure of 8032 runs from 103 outings for Australia in the longest format.

#4 Sunil Gavaskar

The original ‘Little Master’ from India as he often to referred to as was renowned for his courage as he opened the innings against the mightiest of fast bowlers in his era. Not to forget that there were no helmets at that time and had to endure their wrath.

Despite that, he stood up every time and with the help of just his sheer determination he conquered every bowler. He had a great attitude towards the game he loved.

Gavaskar was a fantastic cricketer who was instrumental in influencing careers of many cricketers from India including Sachin Tendulkar

The fact that he reached the milestone of 25 Test hundreds in just 138 innings goes on to show just how consistent he was as a batsman during the testing times of Test cricket. He is one of the reasons in India's resurgence in Tests. This legendary figure eventually got 34 Test hundreds and 10,122 runs at an average of over 51 in 125 Test matches for India.

#3 Sachin Tendulkar

There can't be any list consisting of batting records held by a player be complete without the name ‘Master Blaster’, Sachin Tendulkar in it. The legendary player is a stalwart of the game and it is no surprise he was the third fastest to reach the said milestone but this feat is remarkable given the amount of cricket played by him.

Regarded as arguably the greatest batsmen of all times, the maestro took just a meagre 130 innings to get to his 25th Test ton. He holds almost all the batting records that can be there in cricket.

The living legend also holds the record for most Test hundreds as he got as many as 51 against his name. He also owns the record of most Test runs with 15,921 and also has the world record of playing 200 Tests finishing his career at an average of 54.

#2 Virat Kohli

King Kohli became the 2nd fastest to achieve this milestone

Virat Kohli has managed to outperform his contemporaries in a relatively short time. He has grown in stature to already become one of the greats of this beautiful game and he has still a long way to go in his budding career.

In bringing up 100, he became the second-fastest batsman to reach the milestone in 127th innings surpassing the great the Sachin Tendulkar in the process. He achieved this milestone playing in his 75th Test match for India. He has had an impressive Test career going with the fact he is already a master in limited overs cricket with more than 10000 runs in his kitty.

Virat Kohli is a giant in the modern game whose presence at the crease is always a bad news for the opposition. He has taken his game to new heights and one has to say that the sky is the limit for him.

#1 Don Bradman

While there was never going to be any doubt about who was heading this list right from the first slide. While the others mentioned in the list are great cricketers but this legend held the image of a maestro or a wizard with the bat.

He is a once in a lifetime cricket and no one, I mean no one can come close to this person.

Having played just 59 Tests, yet he still managed to get 29 centuries. As remarkable as that sounds, he also got to the mark of 25 tons in just 68 Test innings.

His record of a staggering batting average of 99.94 is next to impossible for someone to surpass. Sir Donald Bradman had 6996 runs at the end of his stupendous career. He was the man made for making runs and rest assured that no one is going to break this record anytime soon.