Most runs at each batting position in Tests
The traditional form of the game, Test cricket has evolved a lot to become what it is today from how it had started. The number of teams with Test status has grown up to 12, Ireland and Afghanistan being the latest entrants. Tests are no longer dull and boring and hardly produce any draws, unlike earlier days. More and more matches are producing results nowadays, a necessity to keep the popularity of the format intact.
The major obstacle the longest format of the game has faced is pulling the crowds to the stadiums, due to the busy lifestyle of people and the length of the games. But there have been certain players who have been crowd pullers. Test cricket has been blessed with the likes of Sachin, Sehwag, Ponting, Lara, Flintoff, Smith, Kohli and many more, who have made the crowd head towards stadiums even on busy days.
All names mentioned above had one thing in common. They had their positions fixed in the batting order. In fact, they made certain slots their own. In Test cricket, a fixed batting position is of much more importance as compared to the shorter formats. The mindset with which someone bats is affected hugely by the position he comes in to bat.
Here we look at players with most runs at each batting slot.
#Opening: Alastair Cook (11,845)
Alastair Cook holds the record for the most runs by an Englishman in Test cricket. Starting his career with a brilliant ton against India at Nagpur in 2006, Cook goes down as one of the best to have played the game for England. Not only that, he might also be considered as one of the best openers to have played the game, given the consistency and his scores all around the world.
Cook played a total of 278 innings at the top, scoring 11,845 runs at an average of 44.87. His 31 hundreds are also the highest by an Englishman. The former English captain retired from all forms of the game after his side thrashed India 4-1 at home in 2018.
The next two batsmen in the list include Sunil Gavaskar (9,607) and Graeme Smith (9,030).