Stats: Most Test career runs scored by players at no.11
Tail-enders are easily the most underrated batsmen in cricket as they generally don't contribute too much to the scorecard. The No. 11 batsmen, in particular, are expected to be of zero value and any contribution from them is considered to be surplus.
But a startling fact that may not be known to many is that there are instances in cricket history where a batsman coming in to bat last has ended up being the top scorer in the innings. For example when Nathan Lyon remained as a top scorer for Australia with 14 runs after coming at no.11 in a test match where Australia were bowled out in just 47 runs against South Africa.
Who can forget Ashton Agar’s 98 runs innings against England when he made a 163-run partnership with the late Philip Hughes, who was unbeaten on 81. Although the Aussies lost the match by a close margin, Ashton Agar garnered a lot of appreciation for his stellar knock.
Finding it hard to believe? Take a look at top 30 players who have scored their most career runs at no.11 in test cricket till this day.
| Player Name | Country | Innings at no.11 | Runs at no.11 | Career runs | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 99 | 623 | 1261 | 1992-2010 |
| Glenn McGrath | Australia | 128 | 603 | 641 | 1993-2007 |
| Courtney Walsh | West Indies | 122 | 553 | 936 | 1984-2001 |
| Bob Willis | England | 78 | 452 | 840 | 1971-1984 |
| James Anderson | England | 78 | 374 | 1027 | 2003-Running |
| John Statham | England | 46 | 348 | 675 | 1951-1965 |
| Makhaya Ntini | South Africa | 76 | 344 | 699 | 1998-2009 |
| Trent Boult | New Zealand | 39 | 323 | 392 | 2011-Running |
| Nathan Lyon | Australia | 39 | 290 | 492 | 2011-Running |
| Alan Connolly | Australia | 38 | 234 | 260 | 1963-1971 |
| Stephen Harmison | England | 29 | 225 | 743 | 2002-2009 |
| Zaheer Khan | India | 22 | 209 | 1230 | 2000-2015 |
| Allan Donald | South Africa | 32 | 204 | 652 | 1992-2002 |
| Jeffrey Thomson | Australia | 25 | 201 | 679 | 1972-1985 |
| Danish Kaneria | Pakistan | 58 | 197 | 360 | 2000-2010 |
| Richard Collinge | New Zealand | 17 | 184 | 533 | 1965-1978 |
| Lancelot Gibbs | West Indies | 71 | 183 | 488 | 1958-1976 |
| Derek Underwood | England | 27 | 182 | 937 | 1966-1982 |
| Ewen Chetfield | New Zealand | 52 | 176 | 180 | 1975-1989 |
| Terence Alderman | Australia | 42 | 173 | 203 | 1981-1991 |
| Devon Malcolm | England | 49 | 172 | 236 | 1989-1997 |
| Bhagwat Chandrashekhar | India | 76 | 164 | 167 | 1964-1979 |
| Monty Panesar | England | 52 | 163 | 220 | 2006-Running |
| William Johnston | Australia | 34 | 159 | 273 | 1947-1955 |
| Balfour Patterson | West Indies | 37 | 145 | 145 | 1986-1992 |
| Graham Dilley | England | 28 | 139 | 521 | 1979-1989 |
| Wilfred Rhodes | England | 8 | 133 | 2325 | 1899-1930 |
| Ishant Sharma | India | 37 | 131 | 551 | 2007-Running |
| Tino Best | West Indies | 6 | 130 | 401 | 2003-Running |
| Bishen Bedi | India | 28 | 130 | 656 | 1966-1979 |