Will Cook Catch Tendulkar?

The 3rd Ashes Test was the 100th Test Match for the rival captains - Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke. Their records are remarkably similar. Clarke has 26 Test hundreds to Cook's 25. After 179 innings, Cook stands 45 runs short of 8000 Test runs. In 170, Clarke stands only 13 short of the same milestone. While Clarke has the superior Test average and more Test hundreds in fewer innings after 100 Tests, Alastair Cook is regarded as the one man capable of surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's gargantuan career record in Tests - 200 Tests, 329 Test innings 15921 runs, 51 Test hundreds, 62 Test fifties.

Alastair Cook will celebrate his 29th birthday next week. He is the youngest specialist batsman in Test history to play 100 Tests. He has also reached his 100th Test in the shortest span of time ever. Since his debut he has played one Test match every 4 weeks. Tendulkar, who played his first Test 5 months before his 17th birthday, was 5 months past his 29th birthday when he played his 100th Test at The Oval in 2002. Tendulkar played Test Cricket for 11 years after that day.

Lets see what batting records have to say about this. Needless to say, there are other arguments to be made for this, but a look at what other players have achieved is useful. Here is a list of most batsmen who have played 100 Tests. It shows their records at the completion of their 100th Test match. I have not included all such batsmen. Desmond Haynes, the Waughs and a few others did not add anything to the data set. I have included most English players, and all players who average 50 or better after their 100th Test Match.



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