In the shadow of the Don: 7 batsmen with highest runs/innings over 52 tests

Sachin Tendulkar (Mtchs:52, Inns: 86, Runs: 5177, Runs/Inn: 60.20, 100s-20, 50s-17)

Sachin batting in a tour game at Napier (2002)

Sachin Tendulkar's 52 test streak

Sachin Tendulkar's potency in the longer format of the game was evident from the very early days as he cracked hundreds in two of the toughest countries to play cricket (England and Australia). Throughout his career, Tendulkar's consistency was unlike any since Bradman himself (a testament to which was given by Bradman himself).

But still, Tendulkar's most glorious run of form over a 52 test streak was from March 1997 to October 2002 when his insane regularity of scoring hundreds (1 every 4.3 innings) meant that he was scoring nearly 100 runs per test and a staggering 60.2 runs/innings. His form began to slow down slightly after this high, but the timely arrival of a certain Rahul Dravid meant that India was never short of a match-winning batsman. (Dravid himself scored an impressive 56.8 runs/inns over a 52 test streak from 2000 to 2005).

Tendulkar had put the platform firmly in place by then.