Top 10 Batsmen in International Test Cricket in 2013

Ranking players in terms of runs scored has one huge drawback - it is based on how active a player is in a given calendar year. Players who are out of action for long periods due to injury may perform well when they do play, but the time out of the game could cost them a place in the top 10.

Similarly when a team plays few matches in a calendar year, it is difficult for its players to score heavily. For this reason South Africa, despite being the top ranked team, have only one batsman in this year's top 10. The list is dominated by players from Australia and England.

The Australian captain heads the list for the second consecutive year. However he was unable to repeat the dominance he showed in 2012.

In 13 matches he scored 1093 runs at a respectable average of 47.52, with four hundreds and three fifties and a top score of 187. This is a big drop from the highs of 2012 when he managed to score four double hundreds and averaged a massive 106.33.

Despite being the top run scorer his world ranking dropped from 1^st to 6^th in 2013.

Scored 1005 runs at an average of 41.87 with three hundreds and five fifties. Despite his high position on the list, his performance in 2013 was slightly below par as his career average is 45.91.

His performance in the ongoing Ashes series has been disappointing. In four tests he has scored only 217 runs at an average of 31.00.

Despite having the added responsibility of keeping wicket for South Africa, de Villiers scored 933 runs, including four hundreds and five fifties. His batting average for 2013 was 77.75 - the highest by any batsman on this list.

He finished the year ranked number 1 in the world.

England's test captain is another one whose high position on the list hides the fact that his performance in 2013 was not up to his usual high standard. Thanks to having played 14 test matches this year, he scored 916 runs with two hundreds and six fifties, but still only managed to average 33.92.

Like Ian Bell he has had a poor Ashes series, scoring 232 runs at an average of 29.00.

This controversial batsman has often been in the news for his off field behaviour, but on his day he can be dangerous with bat in hand. Despite his two hundreds and six fifties, his statistics for the year suggest he has performed slightly below par with 909 runs at an average of 39.52, compared to a career average of 42.04. However he has upped his game for the Ashes, scoring 491 runs at a healthy average of 70.14 and both his hundreds in 2013 have come in this series.

Scored 866 runs in 10 tests with three hundreds and four fifties and averaged 72.16. His highest score, an unbeaten 217, was the first double hundred of his career. It was also the highest score by any batsman on this list.

At just 23 years old, Root is the youngest player in this year's top 10. As is the case with two of his English teammates who made this list, he was only able to average in the thirties. He scored 862 runs at an average of 34.48 with two hundreds and three fifties.

He is another who has had a disappointing Ashes series, scoring only 192 runs at an average of 27.42.

India's only representative on this list as well as in the world's top 10. In only 8 tests he scored 829 runs at an excellent average of 75.36 with three hundreds and three fifties. He is one of only seven batsmen to score a double hundred in 2013.

He was the top run scorer in the recently concluded test series between India and South Africa, scoring 280 runs at an average of 70.00.

Having played only 17 test matches, he has a remarkable career average of 66.25 and has already scored six test hundreds.

Scored 810 runs at an average of only 35.21 with two hundreds and three fifties, but has performed slightly better in the Ashes, where he has scored 293 runs at an average of 41.85.

Scored 793 runs as an average of 37.76, well below his career average of 46.45. He scored five fifties but only once passed the hundred mark.

Trott's Ashes series came to an abrupt halt after only one test when he pulled out of the tour due to a stress-related illness.

Most of the top run scorers of 2013 did not finish the year ranked in the top 10. The official top 10 batsmen at the conclusion of the last test match of 2013 were:

1. AB de Villiers
2. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
3. Ross Taylor
4. Hashim Amla
5. Kumar Sangakkara
6. Michael Clarke
7. Cheteshwar Pujara
8. Graeme Smith
9. Misbah-ul-Haq
10. Younus Khan

To see where these batsmen and others are ranked today, see the first link below.

The second link is to Cricinfo's batting records. Here you can discover a complete list of the greatest achievements by any batsmen who ever played test cricket. At the top of Cricinfo's record page you will find a link to all records for 2013.

3. Hashim Amla – Did not make the top 10 as South Africa played only 9 test matches in 2013 with Amla missing one of these. After a poor series against India his ranking dropped to number 4. His batting average for 2013 was 57.54, which is higher than that of several players who made the top 10.

4. Kevin Pietersen – Just missed out on a place in the top 10, finishing 11^th with 758 runs at an average of 36.09.

6. Shivnarine Chanderpaul – As he only played 7 test matches in 2013, he does not feature in the top 10 run scorers, but still managed to finish the year at number 2 in the rankings.

7. Jacques Kallis – Had a disappointing year with the bat before announcing that he would retire at the end of 2013. He then scored his only hundred of the year in his final innings for South Africa.

8. Michael Hussey – Retired early in 2013.

9. Marlon Samuels – Performed poorly in 2013, scoring only 293 runs at an average of 24.41.

10. Graeme Smith – Another South African who failed to make the top 10 due to the team playing few test matches this year. However he still managed to finish the year at number 8 in the rankings. His score of 234 against Pakistan was the highest score by any batsman in test cricket in 2013.