Test cricket's top road warriors: batsmen

As the prospect of winning Test matches away from home becomes more and more challenging, we've decided to look at the best batsmen – both past and present – in foreign conditions.

In 149 years of Test cricket, across more than 2,200 matches, just 26 batsmen have managed to average 50-plus away from home (min 2000 runs).

Up to four of those 26 could be in action in this summer, as the Australians prepare to confront South Africa from Thursday at the WACA Ground in Perth, and beyond that, Pakistan from December 15 at the Gabba in Brisbane.

Top of the 'away averages' is of course the outlier, Sir Donald Bradman, whose mark was an outrageous 102.84 in 19 Tests outside Australia, with 11 hundreds.

Following Bradman is a trio of Englishmen, all of whom are legends of the game: Ken Barrington, Wally Hammond and Sir Jack Hobbs.

Barrington, who played 36 Tests away from home in the 1960s, averaged 69.18 on foreign soil, scoring 14 hundreds and 14 fifties in 58 innings.

Hammond wasn't far behind, averaging 66.32 in the period before WWII and briefly after, while Hobbs average of 59.91 was achieved in 34 Tests between 1908 and 1929.

Next up is the first contemporary player on the list – and the first of three Australia captains in succession.

After 22 Tests in opposition territory, Steve Smith is averaging 57.63, having posted seven hundreds including a career-best 215 at Lord's during last year's Ashes.

Smith has the jump on two of the toughest men ever to don the Baggy Green – Allan Border (56.57 in 70 Tests) and Steve Waugh (55.85 in 76 Tests) though it remains to be seen if the 27-year-old can maintain that lead against his compatriots if his longevity begins to rival theirs.

Eighth spot on the list is another English knight – Sir Len Hutton – who averaged 55.29 in 35 Tests away from home, while arguably the best after Bradman slots into the next spot – Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar's average of 54.74 is all the more impressive considering he maintained that level across an incredible 106 Tests away from home (12 more than the next best on the list – Rahul Dravid in 14th position), scoring 29 of his 51 hundreds in the process.

Rounding out the top 10 is former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who averaged 53.93 in 52 Tests away from home, with 15 hundreds.

Smith tips out his countryman Jacques Kallis (53.80 from 74 Tests), who was a colossus of the game in piling on 20 hundreds on foreign soil – the third-most in history after Tendulkar and Dravid (21).

Other notable inclusions on the list – with an eye to the summer ahead – are Younis Khan in 18th position and Proteas pair AB de Villiers (23rd) and Hashim Amla (24th).

From an Australian standpoint, Greg Chappell (15th), Neil Harvey (19th) and Adam Gilchrist (26th) were the fourth, fifth and sixth best respectively in terms of batting averages in away Tests for the men in Baggy Green.

Highest batting average in away Tests (min 2000 runs)

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