Most Test runs against Afghanistan – CricIndeed

Afghanistan are the latest nation to be granted Test format status in 2018, and since then they have featured in just 12 Tests, the first of which was against India in Bengaluru. Below are the performances of opposing batters against Afghanistan in the format.

Most test runs against Afghanistan

Key insights on leading batting performances and run-getters against Afghanistan in Tests

Total runs and milestone scorers in tests against Afghanistan

Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams has scored the most runs in Tests against Afghanistan. The left-handed batsman has scored 514 runs against this Asian country in just the seven innings he batted at an incredible average of 103.60.

His former teammates, Sikandar Raza and Ben Curran, occupy second and third places on the run list against this opponent in Tests. While Raza has 314 runs with three half-centuries, the latter has made 283 runs in the five Test innings he has batted against them.

Apart from Williams, none of the others crossed the 500-run mark in Test vs Afghanistan in Tests, while in this format a total of 87 batters have recorded at least one run against them.

See how many Tests Afghanistan have played each year since their debut in the format.

Most centuries and best batting averages against Afghanistan

A total of 11 batters have scored a Test century against Afghanistan, with Sean Williams leading the charge with 3 centuries in just 7 matches.

The only other batsman to have scored multiple Test tons against Afghanistan is Bangladesh’s Najmul Hossain Shanto. Both his centuries came in the same Test match in Mirpur in 2023.

The rest of the batters namely Brian Bennett, Shamarh Brooks, Dinesh Chandimal, Ben Curran, Shikhar Dhawan, Craig Ervine, Angelo Mathews, Mominul Haque and Murali Vijay.

The first batsman to score a century against Afghanistan was India’s Shikhar Dhawan in the team’s first Test match in 2018, and the next to score was Murali Vijay, who achieved the feat in the same innings.

When it comes to most fifty-plus Test scores against Afghanistan, Zimbabwe’s trio of Sean Williams, Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza lead the list with three such scores. While Ervine has one century, Raza is yet to achieve a three-figure score in Tests versus Afghanistan.

Of the 18 batters who have scored 100 or more runs against Afghanistan, Angelo Mathews’ average of 141.00 leads the pack. The right-hander had scored 141 in the only innings he batted against them, and seven other batters have an average above 100.

Sean Williams’ 154 at Bulawayo in 2024 is the highest Test score against Afghanistan by a batsman, and the next best was also his (151* at Abu Dhabi in 2021). Third place is taken by Najmul Shanto, who made 146 against this opposition.

Batting performance in home-away conditions and match results

At home, Ben Curran’s total of 283 in 5 innings is the highest number of runs scored by a batsman, followed by Bangladesh’s Najmul Shanto (270).

Of the eleven centuries against Afghanistan, ten of these batters scored at the batsman’s home venue.

Only Sean Williams and Shamarh Brooks scored a century on a neutral ground against Afghanistan. Overall, Williams leads the runs count with 264 runs at a neutral venue.

Shanto leads the total with 270 runs in Tests in the matches won against Afghanistan, followed by Angelo Mathews’ tally of 141 runs.

Similarly, Williams’ total of 224 runs, followed by Sikandar Raza’s 206, leads in losing the case.