Top 5 left-handed Australian Test openers of all time

Although statistics are not available, it is safe to say that right-handers comfortably outnumber left-handers in cricket and it is the same across the two primary disciplines of the game.

There are usually only one or two left-handed batsmen in any batting line-up and hence, a left-handed opening batsman is a bit of a novelty, all things considered.

The Australian Test team has played some of the finest left-handed batsmen throughout the course of its cricketing history and some of them have been opening batsmen.

Here is a look at 5 of the finest left-handed opening batsmen to have ever represented Australia in Test cricket.

#5 Mark Taylor

The former captain, who oversaw the rise of the team as the most dominant cricketing nation in the world was also one of Australia's best opening batsmen and definitely among the best left-handed opening batsmen to have ever played the game.

Taylor made his debut against the fearsome West Indian fast bowling attack in 1989 and over the next 10 years, he was a rock at the top of the order for Australia. Taylor had an excellent technique and one of his best qualities as a batsman was that he played the ball as late as he possibly could.

It was rare for Taylor to be as troubled by seam and swing as many of his contemporaries. He formed a formidable opening partnership with Michael Slater. Over the course of his career spanning 104 Test matches, Taylor made 7525 runs at an average of 43.49 and also scored 19 centuries, in addition to 40 half-centuries.

He had also scored a brilliant 334 not out against Pakistan back in 1998 and declared the innings since he did not want to surpass Sir Donald Bradman's highest career score. 

​