5 active batsmen with the highest batting average in Tests

99.94 was the career batting average of Si Don Bradman when he retired. It has been almost 70 years since he retired, but, nobody has come even close to that kind of career batting average. A batting average of 50 is considered to be very good in the modern day Test cricket. Some of the great batsmen of the current era like Sachin Tendulkar, Kumara Sangakkara, AB Devilliers, and Rahul Dravid retired with a batting average in the 50s.

Career batting average is a very good statistic to judge the consistency of a batsman. Let us take a look at the five active batsmen (minimum 20 innings) with the highest batting average in Test cricket at the moment and see who are the most consistent batsmen of the current era:

---

#5 Cheteshwar Pujara

Pujara has seen lots of ups and downs as a Test batsman during his career. He started off with a bang, but stuttered a bit during the overseas assignments later on in his career and got dropped from the team for a short while.

Lately, he has been in very good form, scoring runs all over the world. Recently, Pujara scored a match-winning century during the Adelaide Test in Australia.

So far Pujara has scored 5127 runs at an average of 49.77 from 66 Test matches, which included 16 centuries and 20 fifties.

#4 Joe Root

Sri Lanka v England: Third Test - Day Four

Joe Root was touted as the next big thing in English Test cricket when he started off his career, but lately, he has struggled a bit. One of the major problems Root is facing as a batsman is his conversion rate, he is getting starts but not carrying on.

This fact is indicated by his record- he has scored 41 fifties, but the number of centuries is just 15. Root can play both spin and pace with equal ease. So far, he has scored 6508 runs from 77 Test matches at an average of 50.44, which included 15 centuries and 41 fifties.

#3 Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson

Williamson is one the most well-equipped Test batsmen of the current generation. He is technically very correct and he can play both spin and pace with equal ease. He has led New Zealand really well and taken their cricket to new highs.

New Zealand's recent series win against Pakistan in UAE is a testimony to this fact. So far in his career, he has scored 5815 runs from 69 Test matches at an average of 51.91 with the help of 19 centuries and 29 fifties.

#2 Virat Kohli

Kohli is one of the all-time best

Easily the best and the most equipped batsman of the current generation, Kohli's intensity and concentration has been the stuff of a legend. He has dominated almost every bowler he has played against in his career.

Kohli has an exceptional conversion rate which is evident from the fact that he has scored 25 centuries and 19 fifties in his career so far. So far, he has scored 6508 runs from 75 Test matches at an average of 54.23.

#1 Steven Smith

Smith has been out of Test cricket for about a year

Smith leads this list and that too with some distance. He has a humongous Test batting average of 61.37 and he has an exceptional conversion rate as well. Smith has the ability to play both spin and pace with equal ease.

Smith started off his career as a leg-spinner, but later, transformed into an exceptional Test batsman. So far in his career, he has scored 6199 runs from 64 Test matches with the help of 23 centuries and 24 fifties.