It has no doubt that the game of cricket is a team game. A team can not rely on one single person. Yes! sometimes a player can take his team over the line with his own ability but it is impossible to repeat this in every match. So the following list will feature top 10 players with most runs in losing cause in the longest format of the game.
[10] Mushfiqur Rahim (2753)
The Bangladeshi sensation Mushfiqur Rahim finds his place number 10 in this list. He has played 70 test matches for his country & has scored 4413 runs including 7 centuries. Among those 70 matches, he has been part of 46 matches in losing cause which is more than 60% of his total matches. He has scored 2753 runs in 92 innings at an average of 31.64 including 4 centuries & 13 half centuries in losing cause. He has been part of only 13 matches in winning cause and has scored 1057 runs.
[09] Allan Border (2771)
The only Australian in this list of scoring most runs in losing cause. He scored 11156 runs in 156 matches, of which 2771 runs came in losing cause. Like Mushfiqur Rahim he also played 46 matches & batted in both innings of all the 46 matches (92 inn). He is 9th in the list with 2771 runs at 33.38 in 46 matches including 5 100s & 13 50s.
[08] Rahul Dravid (2778)
With 2778 runs at 29.87 average in 49 matches (98 innings) Rahul Dravid finds his place in the list. He scored 4 centuries in losing cause & among those 3 100s came in England – 1 in Zimbabwe. His average was more than 70 in losing cause in England. Dravid is one of the 2 Indians to be featured in the list. He scored 12 half centuries when his side ended in losing cause.
[07] Younis Khan (2895)
Younis Khan, the only player from Pakistan who is in the list. He played 118 matches for Pakistan and among those 45 matches ended in losing cause. In 89 innings he scored 2895 runs at an average of 32.89 with 7 centuries & 12 half centuries.
[06] Kumar Sangakkara (2938)
The current MCC president who featured in 134 matches scoring 12400 test runs, scored 2938 runs in 43 matches (86 innings) averaging 34.97 with 14 50s & 5 100s. His average was 57.14, 52.88 & 50.95 in New Zealand, Australia & South Africa respectively in losing cause.
[05] Alex Stewart (2993)
The English wicket keeper batsman took part in 54 losing matches out of his 133 test matches. He never scored 100 in losing cause but he scored 23 half centuries. Alex Stewart scored 2993 runs in 107 innings at an average of 29.93.
[04] Alastair Cook (3221)
From one Englishman to another, Alastair Cook is number 4th in the list. He scored 3221 runs in 55 matches (110 innings) averaging 29.28 with 5 100s & 18 half centuries.
[03] Sachin Tendulkar (4088)
Some of the readers might think that Sachin Tendulkar would be the number one in this list but he isn’t. In his 24 years long career he played 56 matches in losing cause, 27.5 % of matches. Out of his 11 centuries in losing cause, 8 of them came in SENA countries & other 3 in India. Tendulkar scored 4088 runs in 112 innings averaging 37.16 including 11 100s & 18 50s.
[02] Brian Lara (5316)
It’s not a great surprise to find Brian Lara in the list. He played 63 test matches in losing cause out of his 131 matches, second most matches in losing cause. Also the only player to score 3 test double hundred in losing cause & most number of hundreds (14) in losing cause. He scored 5316 runs in 126 innings with an average of 5316 runs including 14 centuries & 22 half centuries.
[01] Shivnarine Chanderpaul (5370)
Another man from the Caribbean Island, Shivnarine Chanderpaul leads this list of scoring most runs in losing cause. He played 77 matches in losing cause which is most by any player in the history of the format. In those 77 matches he batted in 153 innings & scored 32 half centuries. No one else has scored more than 30 half centuries in losing cause than him. Chanderpaul also scored 9 centuries. Like Dravid, his 3 centuries also came in the England. With 5370 runs in 153 innings averaging 40.07, Chanderpaul is at top of the list.