You would have heard many experts or commentators say that if a batsman is set it is his responsibility to score big. What does that exactly mean? It means that if a batsman has scored 30,40 or 50 runs then he should go on and make a century, if possible, a big century for his team which will help them get to a big total.
Conversion rate is the rate of converting half-centuries into centuries. So, if a batsman has more centuries than half-centuries then his conversion rate will be more than 50% which is a great thing. Only a few batsmen have managed to score more number of centuries than the number of half-centuries in their career. So, let’s have a look at the five batsmen with the best conversion rate in Test history.
Note: Only players with a minimum of 20 Test centuries have been considered.
5. Matthew Hayden – 50.8%
Matthew Hayden, the Australian opener intimated the bowlers more by his presence than his batting. The Australian left-hander has scored more than 8000 Test runs at an average of just over 50. He holds the record for the highest score by an Australian as he scored 380 in a Test match.
Hayden has scored 30 centuries and 29 half-centuries in his Test career. He is one of the six batsmen to have more centuries than half-centuries. With a conversion rate of 50.8%, Matthew Hayden is fifth on the list.
4. Michael Clarke – 50.9%
The former Australian Test captain – Michael Clarke is fourth on the list with a conversion rate of 50.9%. Clarke has played 115 Tests for Australia scoring 8643 runs at an average of 48.83 with a highest of 329 against India.
He has 28 hundreds and 27 fifties to his name which makes his conversion rate almost 51%. It is a great achievement for an Australian skipper to have a conversion rate of more than 50%.
3. Mohammad Azharuddin – 51%
The former Indian test captain Mohammad Azharuddin who played just one short of 100 Tests has scored 6215 runs at an average of 45.04 with a highest of 199. Azhar was known for his wrist flick through the on-side.
Mohammad Azharuddin finished his Test career with a conversion rate of over 50% as he scored 22 centuries and 21 half-centuries to his name. With a conversion rate of 51%, Mohammad Azharuddin has only two players ahead of him on the list.
2. Virat Kohli – 54%
The Indian captain is second on the list with a conversion rate well above 50%. When Virat Kohli started his Test career he wasn’t a batsman who was known to score big but as he became mature, we could clearly see the difference. He not only scores a century when he is set but goes onto score double centuries. He has a total of 27 centuries and 23 half-centuries out of which 7 are double centuries.
Even in the first Test against Australia, he was looking good for a century before that unfortunate run-out. Kohli is 32 and has at least another 6-7 years of international cricket so we could get to see some more Test centuries from his bat.
1. Sir Don Bradman – 69%
Just as his batting average is way above everybody else his conversion rate is also way above everybody else. A batsman who averages close to 100 doesn’t deal in half-centuries he has to deal in centuries and double centuries and probably triple centuries at times.
The Australian legend – Sir Don Bradman has scored 6996 Test runs at an unbelievable average of 99.94 with 29 centuries out of 12 were double centuries and only 13 half-centuries. It is an insane conversion rate and if anybody else gets past 60, it will be a great achievement.
