Not Bradman, Smith, Tendulkar, Kohli or Lara, this cricketer has highest batting average in Tests; career ended too soon

When you ask the question: ‘who has the highest batting average in Test cricket’, the obvous answer would be Don Bradman. After all, the figure of 99.94 is almost mythical for cricket fans. Everyone has heard stories of how Bradman was so much better than his contemporaries and anyone since. However, there is a catch to this question. Bradman is the right answer only if you consider people with substantal careers. Among all players to have played Test cricket, there are actually a few who have beaten the Don, with one averaging an astounding 144.

Batter with the highest batting average in Tests

The name at the top of the list of highest Test batting averages is Austrailan middle-order batter Kurtis Patterson. The Sydney-born cricketer made his debut for Australia in 2019 in a home series against Sri Lanka, scoring his maiden (and till date only) Test century in his second match. At the end of the game, Patterson had 144 runs in Tests wth only one dismissal, giving him a Test average of 144.00, almost 45 points higher than Bradman.

Kurtis Patterson’s unfulfilled Test career

Despite such a promising start, this Test was the last Patterson ever played for Australia. He came in at number six, scoring 114, as both Joe Burns and Travis Head also scored big hundreds. But Australia’s next assignment in Tests was the 2019 Ashes, where Steve Smith returned from his one-year ban for ball tampering. Patterson made way for Smith in the XI and pretty soon, he also lost the reserved spot to players like Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja. The batter continues to play Sheffield Shield but a loss of form has meant that he is not in the Test reckoning anymore.

Batters with highest batting averages in Tests

Kurtis Patterson isn’t the only batter with a 100+ average. West Indies’ Andy Ganteaume, who played only one Test in 1948, averages 112, courtesy his lone Test century. At number three comes Bradman with his famous average of 99.94. Without any qualification, there are nine more players who average over 70, including legends like Barry Richards and the currently active Saud Shakeel. However, with a qualification of minimum 40 innings, Bradman is firmly on top, followed by Graeme Pollock (60.97), George Headley (60.83), Herbert Sutcliffe (60.73), and Ken Barrington (58.67). Among active players, the highest average belongs to Steve Smith (58.56).