India's Top 5 opening batsman of all Time
The Indian team has had several quality openers in the recent past, players who could take the game away from the opposition in no time.
by Akash
One of the most feared opening batsmen in world cricket
The craft of batting has transpired a lot over the years which extols the beauty of cricket. Batting is not just about scoring tons of runs, it’s also about the flair and grace some batsmen bring to the table to enthrall the viewers.
Different batting positions offer different challenges to batsmen, but the toughest of them all is to open the innings, when the ball is new. An opening batsmen should have the required skill to open the innings because there is a good chance that a batsman’s technique might get exposed when the ball is new.
Since India started playing cricket they have produced many great opening batsmen whose contribution to Indian cricket has been significant. The likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Navjot Singh Sidhu paved the way to several classy opening batsmen.
#5 Rohit Sharma
From being an average middle-order batsman to become a prolific opening batsman, Rohit Sharma has come a long way and has made the opening spot his own, thanks to the Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who believed in his potential and backed him up.
An average which was floating around the mid 30’s, has now increased to 42, and as an opener, he averages 50, which is a brilliant number.
The first glimpse of Sharma opening the batting took place during the Champions Trophy back in 2013, where he had a productive tournament, and since then, the Mumbai batsman hasn't looked back.
#4 Gautam Gambhir
It is rare to see the opening batsman from Delhi smile, but it isn’t rare to see him perform with the bat. Gambhir redefined the art of playing spin bowling, which has been the biggest asset to his game.
Gambhir has the ability to play the aggressive game as well as the waiting game, and the 35-year old has proved that he is the man for big occasions many times in his career.
#3 Virender Sehwag
Dynamic and fearless are some of the words which strikes cricket fans’ mind when we hear the name Virender Sehwag. Sehwag didn’t have a flawless technique and even with minimal footwork, he produced greater results with his impressive hand and eye coordination.
In his illustrious career, the right-handed batsman notched up 8273 runs at an average of 35.05 with 15 centuries. The most noticeable aspect of his game was his strike rate of 104.33, which sets him apart from the rest.
#2 Sourav Ganguly
Fondly called ‘Dada’, Sourav Ganguly was instrumental in heralding a new era in Indian cricket. He instilled confidence to the Indian side as captain and also led from the front with his batting.
A batsman who was gifted with great timing and cricketing sense, Ganguly’s main strength was his ability to penetrate the off side, even with several fielders on the off side. The former Indian captain was excellent against spin bowling, and often, Ganguly’s shots against spin would end up in the stands.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar
No one had a greater impact on Indian cricket than this man. Arguably the greatest batsman of all time, an absolute legend of the game and an icon of world cricket, who rewrote all the records in cricket.
The fact that his phenomenal international career lasted for 24 years deserves a huge salutation. The greatness of Sachin is not just his batting records, it is also the way he adapted himself to the game, playing across various generation of cricketers.
Source: Sportskeeda.com
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