Test cricket is a demanding sport, and openers need to be mentally strong to face the long haul of five days. Here are the top ten best openers of all time.
1. David Warner
One of the most popular and explosive cricketers of all time, David Warner is a larger-than-life character. His approach to sports is almost as unsettling as it is effective, and he has the ability to fill the role of a sports villain to perfection.
In recent times, Warner has turned himself into one of the greatest cricket openers in history. After a stuttering home season and a record-breaking ball-tampering scandal in 2018, he bounced back with a mammoth 335* against Pakistan in Adelaide, which saw him surpass Sir Donald Bradman and Mark Taylor on the list of Australian Test records.
It has been a remarkable journey for the left-hander, who fought back from being suspended by Cricket Australia after punching England’s Joe Root in a bar-room altercation in 2013. His seniority was recognised when he became vice-captain to Steven Smith in Tests and ODIs and led Sunrisers Hyderabad to their maiden IPL title in 2016. He also won the prestigious Orange Cap in the 2015 and 2017 seasons, becoming the first player to win it three times.
2. Rohit Sharma
Despite a slow start, Rohit Sharma has established himself as one of the greatest cricket openers of all time. He is known for his timing, elegance, six-hitting ability and leadership skills.
He has played for India in international and domestic cricket, as well as Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He has won 5 IPL titles and is regarded as one of the most successful cricket captains in history.
When it comes to Test batting, there are a lot of comparisons to be drawn with the Great Sachin Tendulkar. That's because he had a similar strike rate, a similar repertoire of shots and a similar batting style.
3. Shane Watson
One of the greatest cricket openers of all time, Shane Watson is a powerful batsman who can attack the opposition at any point of the game. He has amassed more than 8,000 runs in international cricket across all formats of the game.
He also has an impressive batting record in T20 internationals, with an unbeaten 124 off 71 balls against India in 2016. His explosive strike rate makes him a formidable opponent for the opposition.
He has played in over 300 matches for Australia across all three formats of the game and was a member of the winning teams at two ICC World Cups (2007, 2011). He also won two ICC Champions Trophy titles.
4. Tillakaratne Dilshan
As we all know, cricket has witnessed the reinvention of several batsmen after they have moved up to open the batting. This has helped them improve their batting and bowling skills.
Dilshan has been a great example of this. He has transformed from a struggling middle-order batsman to one of the greatest openers in ODI history.
He started his career as a middle-order batsman, but moved up to open the batting in 2009. His batting improved dramatically and he is now regarded as one of the best opening batsmen of all time.
Dilshan is also a great off-spinner and he has taken a lot of wickets in the game. He has been a great help to Sri Lanka in all their formats of the game.
5. Sachin Tendulkar
The 5'5" giant of a cricketer who inspired a billion people to pick up the willow, Sachin Tendulkar was one of the greatest players ever to grace the sport. He was India's favourite son, and he helped the game of cricket grow from a sport to a religion in the subcontinent.
Tendulkar was a fearsome batsman who could play in all forms of the game, including Tests and ODIs. His uncanny ability to hit the ball at will and his consistency made him a force in world cricket.
