New Delhi: Yashasvi Jaiswal etched his name into the record books on Friday, July 4, during the third day of the ongoing second Test between India and England in Birmingham. The young left-handed batter became the fastest Indian—by number of matches—to score 2,000 runs in Test cricket, surpassing the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. Jaiswal achieved the milestone in just his 21st Test, breaking Gavaskar’s long-standing record of 23 matches.
Needing just 10 runs in the second innings to reach the mark, Jaiswal brought up the milestone in style by smashing a boundary off Brydon Carse on the first ball of the sixth over. His achievement also cements his place as India’s highest-ranked Test batter at present.
Prior to Jaiswal, Sunil Gavaskar held the record, having crossed the 2,000-run mark during his 23rd Test against the West Indies in Port of Spain in April 1976. Gautam Gambhir (24 Tests), Rahul Dravid (25), and Virender Sehwag (25) follow on the list of fastest Indian batters to reach 2,000 runs.
Globally, the record for the fastest to 2,000 Test runs remains with Don Bradman, who achieved the feat in just 15 matches. He is followed by George Headley (17), and a trio of Australians—Michael Hussey, Marnus Labuschagne (both 20), and Jaiswal himself (21). Jaiswal shares fifth place overall with West Indies legend Viv Richards.
In terms of innings played, Jaiswal reached the 2,000-run mark in his 40th Test innings, equalling the record held by Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag among Indians. Others on the list include Vijay Hazare and Gautam Gambhir (43 innings), Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar (44), and Sourav Ganguly (45).
Interestingly, Jaiswal also equalled Rohit Sharma’s record of being the fastest Indian to score 2,000 runs in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), with both reaching the milestone in 40 innings.
Jaiswal’s consistency and rapid rise continue to solidify his status as a key figure in India’s Test batting lineup, with his latest feat underscoring his growing legacy in the longest format of the game.
