Top 5 Test openers of all-time
Opening in Tests is considered to be one of the most difficult tasks in cricket. The bowlers will be running in with full of energy and even a slight dip in concentration will be curtains for the batsman. Facing a fresh speedster with a new ball itself is a high pressure job. Add to it the dynamics of swing and lateral movement, everyone will agree that the situation is not something one enjoys. There are many openers who have stood out for their teams and taken the responsibility on their shoulders to handle the new ball and also bat for longer durations. Here are the top 5 players in Test cricket, who also have had a successful career as an opener.Special mentions: Graeme Smith, Virender Sehwag and Geoffrey Boycott
#5 Matthew Hayden
The only batsman from the 21st century to make the list. the well-built Australian displayed complete dominance against nearly all the bowlers he faced. The stroke maker always had an eye for scoring opportunities and never allowed the bowlers to get into a rhythm. The authoritative nature of his stroke play was a treat to watch. He was one among those big names of the Australian batting order that dominated the world in the last couple of decades.
The left-hander scored 8625 Test runs in his career. He held the world record for the highest individual score in Test matches for a short period: 380, surpassing Brian Lara’s 375, before the West Indian reclaimed the record by scoring 400*.
The Queenslander’s 30 tons is next only to Sunil Gavaskar’s 34 as an opener.