Sachin Tendulkar is the fastest batter to 30 Test centuries. He reached the mark in his 159th innings, and Steve Smith came closest to catching him, getting there in 162. Figures are from ESPNcricinfo, to 13 October 2026.
Don Bradman finished with 29 Test hundreds, and Sunil Gavaskar became the first batter to pass that total, with his 30th in December 1983. 17 batters have now made 30 or more.
Fastest to 30 Test centuries
| Batter | Inns | Tests | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar (India) | 159 | 99 | 2002 |
| Steve Smith (Australia) | 162 | 92 | 2023 |
| Matthew Hayden (Australia) | 167 | 94 | 2008 |
| Kane Williamson (New Zealand) | 169 | 97 | 2024 |
| Ricky Ponting (Australia) | 170 | 102 | 2006 |
| Sunil Gavaskar (India) | 174 | 99 | 1983 |
| Younis Khan (Pakistan) | 180 | 101 | 2015 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) | 186 | 110 | 2012 |
| Jacques Kallis (South Africa) | 200 | 118 | 2008 |
| Virat Kohli (India) | 203 | 119 | 2024 |
| Brian Lara (West Indies) | 205 | 117 | 2005 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) | 214 | 129 | 2012 |
| Joe Root (England) | 239 | 131 | 2023 |
| Alastair Cook (England) | 245 | 136 | 2016 |
| Steve Waugh (Australia) | 247 | 159 | 2003 |
| Rahul Dravid (India) | 250 | 145 | 2010 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies) | 269 | 158 | 2014 |
Innings means innings batted. Tests counts every Test played up to and including the one with the 30th hundred.
Sachin Tendulkar (India): 159 innings
Tendulkar’s 30th hundred was 193 off 330 balls against England at Headingley in August 2002, in his 99th Test. He fell seven short of a double hundred. He went on to finish with 51 Test hundreds, still the record.
Steve Smith (Australia): 162 innings
Smith made his 30th, 104 off 192 balls against South Africa, at the SCG in January 2023, in his 92nd Test. He has 37 Test hundreds now.
Matthew Hayden (Australia): 167 innings
Hayden reached 30 with 103 off 200 balls against India at Adelaide in January 2008. That made him the fastest Australian to 30 at the time, and he finished on exactly 30.
Kane Williamson (New Zealand): 169 innings
Williamson made his 30th, 118 off 289 balls against South Africa, at Mount Maunganui in February 2024, then added a 31st in the second innings of the same Test with 109. He has 33 Test hundreds now.
Ricky Ponting (Australia): 170 innings
Ponting got to 30 at Durban in March 2006 with 116 off 187 balls against South Africa, his second hundred of the match after 103 in the first innings. He retired with 41.
Sunil Gavaskar (India): 174 innings
Gavaskar’s 30th was 236 not out off 425 balls against West Indies at Chennai (then Madras) in December 1983, and it took him past Bradman’s 29. He was the first batter to 30 Test hundreds and finished with 34.
Virat Kohli, the most recent batter to reach 30, took 203 innings, with 100 not out off 143 balls against Australia at Perth in November 2024. Joe Root took 239, with 118 not out off 152 balls against Australia at Edgbaston in June 2023. Smith’s hundreds are listed one by one in Steve Smith’s Test centuries.
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Photo Credit: Alamy