Scoring over 10,000 runs across a playing career in any format of cricket is considered a significant achievement. In the chase to achieve top scores, West Indian Garfield Sobers retired in 1974 as the most prolific run scorer in Test cricket, with a total of 8,032 runs. The record stood for nine years, until it was broken by England's Geoffrey Boycott in the 1982 series against India. Boycott remained the top scorer in the format until Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar surpassed his tally two years later in 1983. In March 1987, Gavaskar became the first player to cross the 10,000 run mark in Tests during a match against Pakistan. , fourteen players—from seven teams that are Full Members of the International Cricket Council (ICC)—have scored 10,000 runs in Tests. Out of these, three each are from Australia and India, while two each are from England, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. One player each from Pakistan and South Africa form the rest. No player from Bangladesh, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Ireland or Zimbabwe has passed the 10,000 run mark in Tests yet. Sachin Tendulkar holds multiple records—most appearances (200 matches), most runs (15,921) and highest numbers of both centuries (51) and half-centuries (68). In terms of innings, West Indian Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara are the fastest (195) to reach the 10,000 run mark, while Australia's Steve Waugh is the slowest to achieve the feat (244). England's Joe Root is the fastest in terms of time span, taking 9 years and 174 days, while West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul's time span of 18 years and 37 days is the slowest among all. Joe Root and Alastair Cook share the record for the youngest player to score 10,000 runs, both reaching this milestone at the age of 31 years and 157 days.

Players with 10,000 or more Test runs

By country