Cricket Milestones Reached on 2 January

The 2nd of January has witnessed three of the most exclusive landmarks in Test cricket. Jacques Kallis reached 13000 Test runs against New Zealand in 2013, a threshold few batsmen ever approach. A decade earlier, Steve Waugh brought up 10000 Test runs against England in 2003, while Allan Border had reached the same mark against West Indies in 1993. Brian Lara crossed 9000 Test runs against South Africa in 2004, the same year Sachin Tendulkar reached that milestone against Australia. These accumulations represent the sustained excellence required at the highest level, with each player having built their total over years of international competition.

The date has also marked significant mid-career points for several batsmen. AB de Villiers brought up 8000 Test runs against England in 2016, while Ricky Ponting had reached that figure against South Africa in 2006. Hashim Amla crossed 7000 runs against England in 2016, the same match as de Villiers, while Greg Chappell had done so against Pakistan in 1984. Justin Langer and David Boon both reached 5000 Test runs on this date, Langer against India in 2004 and Boon against West Indies in 1993. The 4000-run mark proved particularly common, with eight players crossing it on 2 January across different years, from Sir Viv Richards against Australia in 1982 through to Graeme Smith against India in 2007.