5 batters with most Test runs in 2023 ft. Steve Smith
Steve Smith was influential for Australia in 2023, as they won the World Test Championship as well as the ODI World Cup.
He was part of a group of players that included David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who completed cricket by winning the T20 World Cup and the aforementioned trophies.
It was a good year for Test cricket overall as the second WTC cycle came to a close and the third WTC began. Unlike recent times, a lot of emphasis was given to both ODI and Test cricket in 2023, for obvious reasons.
On that note, let's look at the top five run-getters in Test cricket in 2023:
#5 Joe Root - 787 runs
Joe Root not only had the best year among the Fab Four in Test cricket but arguably had the best 2023 of any batter in the format. The only reason he doesn't feature higher up on this list is that he played around 10 innings fewer than the Australian batters.
Root scored 787 runs in 14 innings in the year. His average of 65.58 and strike rate of 76.33 make him stand out among his peers. The 33-year-old has adapted well to the Bazball style of cricket, scoring a bucket load of runs.
#4 Marnus Labuschagne - 803 runs
One of four Australians in this list, Marnus Labuschagne scored 803 Test runs in 25 innings in 2023. Since breaking into the Australian Test team, Labuschagne has been a solid rock at No. three, being both reliable and consistent.
The right-handed batter had a great year overall. He sneaked into the Kangaroos' 2023 World Cup squad as a replacement for the injured Ashton Agar. Labuschagne got plenty of chances at the quadrennial event and made it count with a crucial knock in the final against India.
#3 Travis Head - 919 runs
If Labuschagne had a great 2023, Travis Head had an even better year. The South Australian scored 919 runs in 23 innings. He scored five half centuries and one only century, which came when it mattered the most, the WTC final.
Both his ODI tons this year also came in key games (2023 World Cup semi-final and final), earning him the tag of a big match player. His 75.57 strike rate in Test cricket makes him the X factor in the Australian batting order, along with Mitchell Marsh.
#2 Steve Smith - 929 runs
Steve Smith had a lean year by his high standards but still managed two ICC trophies and a lot of runs. The 34-year-old amassed 929 runs in 24 Test innings in 2023 at an average of 42.22, which is considerably lower than his Test career average of 58.11.
The highlight of Smith's year was the 121-run knock in the WTC final against India. The New South Welshman stitched a 285-run fourth-wicket partnership with Head to put his side in a commanding position in the first innings. Steve Smith scored three centuries in 2023, taking his overall Test tally to 32 tons.
#1 Usman Khawaja - 1210 runs
Usman Khawaja went somewhat under the radar from 2017 to 2021, but he has shown in the last two years what he's capable of in the longest format of the game. He scored 1210 runs in 24 innings in 2023, after scoring 1080 runs in 20 innings in 2022.
The Australian opener registered three triple-digit scores and six half-centuries. His highest score came against South Africa early in the year, a magnificent 195* in a drawn game. At 37, the left-hander is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.