Steve Smith vs Joe Root: who is the better Test batter?

Steve Smith is narrowly ahead as the better Test batter on a per-innings basis, with a higher average, a stronger conversion rate and the second-highest ICC rating peak in history behind Don Bradman. Joe Root has built the greater career by volume, passing 13,900 Test runs and 41 centuries across more than 160 matches. Judged on pure batting quality, Smith edges it. Judged on total output and longevity, Root leads clearly.

Steve Smith vs Joe Root at a glance

Smith and Root debuted within two years of each other and have now played into their mid-30s without a serious dip in workload. The table below covers both careers through each player's most recent completed Test: Smith's fifth Ashes Test at Sydney (January 2026) and Root's third Test against India at Lord's (July 2025), his most recent appearance at the time of writing.

Stat	Steve Smith	Joe Root
Matches	123	163
Innings	approx. 213	approx. 298
Runs	10,763	13,943
Batting average	56.4	50.9
Centuries	37	41
Fifties	approx. 42	approx. 65
Double centuries	3	6
Highest score	239	262
ICC ranking peak	947 (2018)	917 (2015, matched 2021)

 

People also Search For  Joe Root vs Virat Kohli since 2020: who has really been the better Test batter?

 

Who has the better overall Test record?

Smith leads on batting average and peak rating. Root leads on aggregate runs and centuries.

Runs and batting average

Root has scored more Test runs than any Englishman in history and sits second on the all-time list behind Sachin Tendulkar. That total is built on 40 more Tests than Smith has played, so volume explains most of the gap.

Per innings, Smith is well clear. His career average of 56.4 sits roughly five runs above Root's 50.9, a gap that has held for most of the last decade despite a quieter stretch for Smith since 2023.

Centuries, fifties and conversion rate

Root has 41 Test centuries to Smith's 37, and also leads on double centuries, six to three, and highest individual score, 262 to 239.

Smith converts more often. With 37 hundreds from around 79 scores of fifty or more, his hundred-to-fifty ratio is among the best in Test history. Root's conversion has improved sharply since 2021, but across his full career it still trails Smith's rate.

Peak performance and ICC rating

Smith's rating peaked at 947 points in early 2018, the second-highest mark ever recorded on the ICC Test batting rankings, behind only Bradman's 961. Between 2014 and 2019 he averaged 72 across 56 Tests, a stretch statisticians still treat as one of the greatest peaks in the format's history.

Root's rating peaked at 917, first in 2015 and again in 2021. It's a lower ceiling than Smith's, but Root has sustained a rating above 850 for longer stretches, reflecting fewer troughs rather than a higher summit.

 

Who performs better in different conditions?

Smith's home and away numbers are unusually close together. Root's have narrowed over time but still carry a gap.

Home record

Smith averages in the low 60s in Australia. Root averages in the mid-50s in England, with the bulk of his runs concentrated at Lord's, where he holds the record for most Test runs by any player at the ground.

Away record

Smith's away average has tracked close to his home number, an unusual pattern for any batter. Root's away form used to lag behind his home numbers, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, though that gap closed further after his twin centuries at Brisbane and Sydney in the 2025-26 Ashes.

Record in Asia

Smith has one of the best Asian records of any Australian batter, having gone past Ricky Ponting's tally of Australian Test runs on the subcontinent. Root has been outstanding there too, with twin double centuries in Sri Lanka (228 and 186) and 218 on his 100th Test in Chennai.

Performance in England and Australia

Root's long wait for an Australian century ended in the 2025-26 Ashes at Brisbane and Sydney, closing the one clear gap in his record. Smith has dominated both countries, his England average sitting in the mid-to-high 50s on the back of a 2019 Ashes series still regarded as one of the best by a visiting batter in the format's history.

 

People also Search For  Can Joe Root Break Sachin Tendulkar's Test Record? The Numbers Might Surprise You

 

Performance against major Test nations

Sample sizes vary a lot by opponent, so treat the smaller ones as indicative rather than conclusive.

Opponent	Steve Smith	Joe Root
India	Average in the mid-50s to 60s across more than 30 Tests, including 11 centuries	Over 3,000 runs against India, including a double century in Chennai and nine centuries
England (Ashes)	41 Ashes Tests, 13 centuries, average of roughly 57, second-most Ashes runs and centuries behind Bradman	Mixed Ashes returns overall, with standout series in 2015 and 2023 offset by quieter tours in 2013-14 and 2021-22
Australia	N/A	Century drought on Australian soil until the 2025-26 Ashes, when he scored hundreds at Brisbane and Sydney
South Africa	Average in the low 40s across a moderate sample	Average above 50

 

Smith vs Root in high-pressure Test cricket

Ashes record

Smith is the standout performer here. As of the 2025-26 series, he sits second on the all-time list of Ashes run scorers (3,644) and centuries (13), behind only Bradman on both counts, per ICC records.

Root's Ashes career has been more uneven: heavy scoring in 2015 and a match-defining century at Edgbaston in 2023, offset by leaner series in 2013-14 and 2021-22.

Fourth-innings batting

Root has delivered notable fourth-innings performances, including an unbeaten century that chased down a target against New Zealand at Lord's. Neither player has a sample large enough to support a broader claim of fourth-innings superiority.

World Test Championship performances

Root led the 2023-2025 WTC cycle with 1,968 runs, per official WTC records. Smith's standout WTC contribution came in the 2023 final at The Oval, where his 121 alongside Travis Head's 163 helped Australia win by 209 runs.

 

Batting style and technical strengths

Steve Smith's unorthodox method

Smith shuffles across his stumps before the ball is bowled, uses an unusually high back-lift, and scores heavily through the leg side off both pace and spin. Former Australia captain Steve Waugh once compared watching Smith bat to watching a computer process information.

Joe Root's classical and adaptable technique

Root's technique is closer to the coaching manual: compact, side-on, and built around correct footwork. He's added the reverse scoop and switch hit to his game over the past five years without disturbing that classical base.

Who has the more complete Test game?

Both bowl occasionally, and Root has taken more Test wickets, including a five-wicket haul against India. On pure batting output, Smith's numbers remain ahead.

 

People also Search For  Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar: who is the greater ODI batter? A complete statistical comparison

 

Longevity, consistency and career trajectory

Smith's peak, from 2014 to 2019, was statistically one of the highest sustained periods any Test batter has produced since Bradman. Since 2023, his average has dropped into the low 40s across his last 24 Tests, a clear decline from his career number.

Root's trajectory has moved the other way. His average dipped through 2019 and 2020 before climbing back from 2021 onward, and he has missed little cricket through injury across a 14-year career.

Availability separates the two clearly. Root has played 40 more Tests than Smith, partly because England's schedule includes more fixtures and partly because Smith served a 12-month ban following the 2018 ball-tampering incident.

 

What experts say about Smith and Root

Ricky Ponting told the Sydney Morning Herald in January 2025 it was hard to argue against Smith as the best player of his generation, while noting Root's form over the previous few years had pulled him back into that conversation.

Nasser Hussain, writing for Sky Sports in November 2024 during a debate sparked by former Australia coach Darren Lehmann, backed Root as an all-time great regardless of his (then) lack of a century in Australia.

Michael Atherton, on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast after Smith's century in the fifth Ashes Test at Sydney in January 2026, called him the best Test batter of his generation.

 

People also Search For  Ben Stokes' Retirement: Can England's Bazball Survive Without Him?

 

Final verdict: Steve Smith or Joe Root?

On a per-innings basis, Smith is the better Test batter. His average, conversion rate and ICC rating peak all sit above Root's, and only Bradman ranks above him on either measure.

On career output, Root leads clearly, with more runs, more centuries and a longer run of uninterrupted availability, now without the century-in-Australia gap that once shadowed his record.

Neither framing cancels the other out. Ball for ball, pick Smith. Career built, pick Root.

 

Frequently asked questions

Is Steve Smith better than Joe Root?

On a per-innings basis, yes. Smith's batting average and ICC rating peak are both higher than Root's. On career runs and centuries, Root leads.

Who has more Test runs?

Joe Root, with 13,943 to Smith's 10,763, largely because Root has played 40 more Tests.

Who has more Test centuries?

Joe Root, with 41 to Smith's 37.

Who has the higher Test batting average?

Steve Smith, at 56.4 compared with Root's 50.9.

Who has the better Ashes record?

Steve Smith. He's second on the all-time list for both Ashes runs and Ashes centuries, behind only Don Bradman.

Who is better away from home?

Smith's away average has stayed closer to his home number historically. Root has narrowed that gap since 2021, including his first Test centuries in Australia during the 2025-26 Ashes.

Can Joe Root break Sachin Tendulkar's Test run record?

Root needs roughly 1,980 more runs to pass Tendulkar's 15,921, within reach if he plays another two to three years at his current level.

 

Data note: Statistics in this article are updated through Joe Root's Test against India at Lord's in July 2025 and Steve Smith's fifth Ashes Test at Sydney in January 2026, the most recent completed Tests for each player at the time of writing. Both are still playing, so career totals and averages will continue to change.