10 Most Successful Captains in Test Cricket – 2024

Test cricket, as the name suggests ‘Test’ is the most challenging form of cricket as it is the longest version of the game which challenges the skills, stamina, patience, and mentality of any cricketer.

This is why captaincy in Test cricket becomes all the more challenging and crucial. Here, this article will feature the top 10 most successful captains in Test cricket who have excelled with flying colors in the purest form of the game.

Criteria for ranking the most successful captains in Test cricket –

1. The player has captained his international side for at least 50 Test matches.
2. The rankings are based on win percentage, meaning the captain with a higher win percentage is ranked higher.
3. Win percentage is preferred over win-loss ratio because in Test cricket, a draw is an equal likelihood at the start of the game and hence a draw can be a positive or a negative outcome for a team depending on the situation.

(Note – Win % = (Total watches won / Total matches captained) x 100

Win-loss ratio = (Total matches won / Total matches lost) )

Based on the above criteria, here are the top 10 most successful captains in Test cricket –

Sl. No.	Captain	Country	Span	Matches as Captain	Won	Lost	Draw	Win %	Win-Loss Ratio
1	Steve Waugh	Australia	1994 – 2004	57	41	9	7	71.92%	4.55
2	Ricky Ponting	Australia	2004 – 2010	77	48	16	13	62.33%	3.00
3	Virat Kohli	India	2014 – 2022	68	40	17	11	58.82%	2.35
4	Vivian Richards	West Indies	1980 – 1991	50	27	8	15	54.00%	3.37
5	Mark Taylor	Australia	1994 – 1999	50	26	13	11	52.00%	2.00
6	Michael Vaughan	England	2003 – 2008	51	26	11	14	50.98%	2.36
7	Hanse Cronje	South Arica	1994 – 2000	53	27	11	15	50.94%	2.45
8	Clive Lloyd	West Indies	1974-1985	74	36	12	26	48.64%	3.00
9	Graeme Smith	South Africa	2003 – 2014	109	53	29	27	48.62%	1.82
10	Misbah Ul Haq	Pakistan	2010 – 2017	56	26	19	11	46.42%	1.36

Special mention – Kane Williamson is the 1st captain in the world to win the World Test Championship, but he is not on the above list because he hasn’t captained New Zealand in 50 Test matches yet, but for his above-mentioned feat, he definitely deserves a special mention when it comes to most successful captains in Test cricket.

1. Steve Waugh

Win percentage – 71.92% Win-Loss ratio – 4.55

Going by records and numbers, Steve Waugh is definitely number one in the league of most successful captains in Test cricket. His win percentage and the win-loss ratio are second to none. Australia has a record of winning 16 consecutive Test matches and Waugh has captained 15 out of them plus, In 2003 he also became the first captain ever to win the coveted Test mace. As good as it gets!

2. Ricky Ponting

Win percentage – 62.33% Win-Loss ratio – 3.00

Ponting succeeded Waugh in Australia’s Test captaincy role and also follows him at number 2 in the list of most successful captains in Test cricket. Almost throughout his reign, Australia remained at the number one spot and hence won 6 Test matches under him, which is a trophy given to the team ranked 1 at the end of the stipulated period (April) every year by ICC.

3. Virat Kohli

Win percentage – 58.82% Win-Loss ratio – 2.35

Virat is the third-best in the world when it comes to the most successful captains in Test Cricket. His love and passion for Test cricket are reflected in his aggressive style of captaincy. India did well in overseas tours under him, even winning a Test series in Australia for the first time in its history. India also won 3 consecutive Test Maces under him and just lost out in the World Test Championship Final in 2021 versus New Zealand.

4. Vivian Richards

Win percentage – 54.00% Win-Loss ratio – 3.37

The legend of the game – Vivian Richards takes 4th place in most successful captains in Test cricket with a healthy win % of 54 and over 3 win-loss ratios. He led one of the fiercest Test sides in cricket ever in the 1980s.

5. Mark Taylor

Win percentage – 52.00% Win-Loss ratio – 2.00

Mark Taylor is 5th with respect to most successful captains in Test cricket and he was the one who was in charge of the proceedings before Steve Waugh and laid the perfect foundation for Steve Waugh which helped Australia dominate Test cricket.

6. Michael Vaughan

Win percentage – 50.98% Win-Loss ratio – 2.36

Michael Vaughan is looked at as one of England’s best captains in red-ball cricket with 26 wins in 51 matches. The crux of his captaincy tenure in Test cricket came in the 2005 Ashes series when under his captaincy, England won the Ashes after a long wait of 18 years, beating Australia 2-1. Overall he is sixth on the list of most successful captains in Test cricket.

7. Hanse Cronje

Win percentage – 50.94% Win-Loss ratio – 2.45

Hanse Cronje grabs the 7th spot in the chart of most successful captains in Test cricket with a win % of just over 50% and a win-loss ratio almost touching 2.50. South Africa was a dominant side that used to play completely fearless cricket under his captaincy, not just in Tests but also in limited-overs cricket.

8. Clive Lloyd

Win percentage – 48.64% Win-Loss ratio – 3.00

The 2 times World Cup winning captain of the West Indies was also a successful captain in the longest form of the game as he takes the 8th rank out of the most successful captains in Test cricket. West Indies boasted had an unbeatable team in the 1970s and early 1980s and Clive Lloyd was the leader of the pack, which itself speaks volumes about him.

9. Graeme Smith

Win percentage – 48.62% Win-Loss ratio – 1.82

Graeme Smith is an absolute legend of Test cricket and he is the only cricketer in the world to date who has captained his nation in over 100 Test matches which itself proves why he is one of the most successful captains in Test cricket! Will anyone be able to break his record of 109 matches as Test captain? It’s a question that can’t be answered anytime soon!

10. Misbah Ul Haq

Win percentage – 46.42% Win-Loss ratio – 1.36

One of the most dependable batsmen of Pakistan completes this elite list of most successful captains in Test cricket with a win % of 46.42% and a very decent win-loss ratio of 1.36. Pakistan grew as a Test playing nation under his watchful eyes.

This concludes the table of the top 10 most successful captains in Test cricket.

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