"100 consecutive Tests for Nathan Lyon" - Who has played the most Test matches in a row?

Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon has just created history by becoming the first bowler to play 100 Test matches in a row for his country. The veteran off-spinner has reached this remarkable feat in his career over ten years. 

A player should be at the top of their fitness to not miss a single test match for a long time. Not to forget that their form in the game should be at the highest level too. Red ball cricket is a different ball-game altogether. 

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In the second Test of the ongoing Ashes 2023 (played at the iconic Lord’s), Nathan Lyon hit the milestone as the third Australian to play 100 or more consecutive Tests. He has played the most consecutive Test matches among active players (100 Tests). The next active player on the list is West Indian opener Kraigg Brathwaite (75 Tests).

Australia was put into bat after England Captain Ben Stokes won the toss at the Lord’s Stadium in London on 28 June 2023. With Lord’s being a pacer-friendly wicket, the home side has gone with an extra speedster in the playing XI.

The visitors have recalled veteran Mitchell Starc into the XI, who was rested for the first test. He replaced Scott Boland in the team.

Players with the most consecutive Test caps

Former England skipper Alastair Cook played the most consecutive Tests by any player in the history of cricket. He made his debut in March 2006. From May 2006 (playing his career’s third test match) till September 2018 (when Cook retired), the Englishman had not missed a single Test match for his country. He played 159 games in between, scoring 12289 runs. It is one of the rarest feats that a cricketer would ever achieve. 

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Cook broke the record of Australia’s legendary batter, Allan Border. From 1979 (when Allan played his career’s fourth test) to 1994 (when he retired), Allan played 153 consecutive tests for Australia. Like Alastair Cook, Allan Border did not miss a single test match for most of his career. He scored over 11000 runs in test matches during the timeframe. 

*: Active Players