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Top 5 left-handed opening Test batsmen of all time

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The left-handers make up roughly 12 percent of the world's population. Scientists believe that left-handers use the right side of their brain the most and that makes them better at three-dimensional perception, multitasking, and thinking.

These skills can come in quite handy if you are an opening batsman and your day job is all about negotiating with a barrage of fast-paced deliveries coming your way.

Moreover, bowlers are not as comfortable, nor as proficient bowling to left-handed batsmen. So it would not be erroneous to say that life in cricket is better if you are a left-handed batsman.

The lefties are surely overrepresented in cricket and it is believed that the outnumbered batsmen do have an edge over the right-handers. Now, let's have a look at five such southpaws who carved out a niche for themselves as opening batsmen.


Gautam Gambhir

A lesser-acknowledged hero of Indian cricket - Gautam Gambhir is one of the most talented left-handed openers the country has unearthed.

Gambhir, who earned 58 Test caps, scored eight centuries in space of 10 five-day contests between 2008 and 2010.

The out of favour batsman, who scored over 4000 Test runs, produced the grittiest ton of his career as Team India opening batsman in March 2009.

The aggressive opener shifted gears and displayed his nerves of steel as he batted for 643 minutes to score 137 off 436 balls against New Zealand in Napier.

Gambhir, who averages 41.95 in Tests, owing to his innings building technique played out a marathon innings and saved the match for India.

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