Test cricket is always about playing long and scoring a lot of runs. However, this depends on how their openers set the tone and what sort of start they provide to the team. Hence, the onus always falls on the opening batter to not just show resilience by protecting their wicket for a long period but also to score runs against the opposition.
Those who did so over a long period have entered the annals of cricket as one of the greatest of this sport. In this article, we list those batters who time and again defied conditions, pace, swing, seam, and spin that are on offer to emerge as the best in their batting position.
Here are the top run-getters among openers in Test cricket.
Most Test Runs as Openers
| Player | Innings | Runs as Opener | Average | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alastair Cook (ENG) | 278 | 11845 | 44.86 | 294 |
| Sunil Gavaskar (IND) | 203 | 9607 | 50.29 | 221 |
| Graeme Smith (SA) | 196 | 9030 | 49.07 | 277 |
| David Warner (AUS) | 202 | 8747 | 45.08 | 335* |
| Matthew Hayden (AUS) | 184 | 8625 | 50.73 | 380 |
| Virender Sehwag (IND) | 170 | 8207 | 50.04 | 319 |
| Geoffrey Boycott (ENG) | 191 | 8091 | 48.16 | 246* |
| Graham Gooch (ENG) | 184 | 7811 | 43.88 | 333 |
| Mark Taylor (AUS) | 186 | 7525 | 43.49 | 334 |
| Gordon Greenidge (WI) | 182 | 7488 | 45.10 | 226 |
Key Insights on Leading Run Scorers as Test Openers
All-Time Batting Records for Test Opening Batsmen
Alastair Cook has scored the most runs as an opener in Test cricket. He aggregated 11845 runs in 278 innings for England.
Cook’s 278 innings are the most times a batter opened the batting in Test cricket.
While India’s Sunil Gavaskar (10122) was the first batter to scale ‘Mount 10k’ runs in Test history, he scored only 9607 of these runs as an opener.
Gavaskar, however, has smashed the most centuries as a Test opener, with 33 knocks to his name. Cook and Matthew Hayden follow him with 31 and 30 tons, respectively.
Cook, meanwhile, has the most fifty-plus scores while opening in Tests. He had 86 knocks of 50 or more runs in this position.
England’s Herbert Sutcliffe has the highest batting average as an opener in Tests, having scored 4522 runs at 61.10 in 83 innings (minimum 30 innings batted).
West Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite has bagged the most ducks as an opener in Tests, getting out on zero 19 times.
Individual Performance and Milestone Innings as Test Openers
Matthew Hayden has brought up the highest individual score as an opener in a Test innings. He smashed a 380-run knock for Australia against Zimbabwe in the 2003 Perth Test. (Revisit Hayden’s knock here!)
Hayden’s 380 is the second–highest individual score by any batter in the longest format.
Virender Sehwag and Chris Gayle are the two openers to score two triple centuries each in Tests.
The fastest triple century in Tests belongs to Sehwag, who crossed the 300-run mark off 278 balls while opening against South Africa in the 2008 Chennai Test.
Venue-Specific and Series Scoring Feats as Test Openers
Australia’s Mark Taylor has amassed the most runs as an opener in a Test bilateral series. He scored 839 runs at 83.90 in the six-match Ashes series against England in 1989.
Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne has scored the most runs as an opener at a single Test venue. He collected 1979 runs at 49.47 in 42 innings at the Galle International Stadium in Sri Lanka.
Cook scored 5941 runs at 43.46 in 142 innings in England, the most by an opening batter at home in Tests.
David Warner (5427 in Australia), Hayden (5210 in Australia), and Graham Gooch (5117 in England) are the other three openers with 5000-plus runs at home in Tests.
Cook was equally good in overseas conditions, tallying 5295 runs at 45.64 in 125 innings. This is the most runs by an opener in away Tests (excluding matches at neutral venues).
Cook’s overseas run tally included 17 centuries, the second-most by an opener, behind Gavaskar’s 18.
England’s Jack Hobbs has tallied the most runs as an opener against a Test team. He scored 3483 runs at an average of 53.58 in 69 innings against Australia.
Hobbs is also the top run-scorer against Australia in Tests, with 3636 runs in 71 innings.
Captaincy and Yearly Milestones as Test Openers
South Africa’s Graeme Smith has the most runs for an opener in a calendar year in Tests. He scored 1656 runs at 72.00 in 25 innings in 2008.
Graeme Smith has aggregated the most runs as a captain while opening in Tests. He scored 8538 runs at 48.23 in 188 innings while leading the Proteas. No other captain has 5000 runs in this slot!
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