1. Mathew Hayden
This towering Australian is widely regarded as a legend of test cricket. His attacking style put many bowling attacks on the back foot. Nicknamed Haydos or Mat the Bat he was born in the small town of Kingaroy in Queensland Australia on the 29th of October 1971.
Hayden debuted for Australia on March 4th-8th, 1994 against South Africa at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg South Africa. He made 15 and 5 on debut, not most glittering start for such a brilliant career, but his chance would come.
He is often picked by his peers and greats of the game in the best test team of all time. He dismantled so many great bowlers and led from the front and pushed the run rate for the Australian side faster than any other opener in history.
Matthew Hayden Career Stats
- Tests: 103
- Runs scored: 8625
- Batting average: 50.73
- 100s/50s: 30/29
- Highest score: 380
Truly a legend opener and a wonderful left-handed batsman.
2. Michael Atherton
Born on March 23rd, 1968, Athers as he is fondly known was a right-handed batsman for England in the nineties and was known for his dogged determination at the crease. Gutsy and stubborn, sledge-proof, Mike Atherton was an opener in the classic English tradition.
He made batting look like trench warfare. His defence was his forte. He was made English captain at the age of 25.
He resigned as captain in 1998 and retired in 2001. He now commentates all around the world and is acknowledged these days as a no-nonsense journalist.
Michael Atheron Career Stats
- Tests: 115
- Runs scored: 7728
- Batting average: 37.69
- 100s/50s: 16/46
- Highest score: 185
If you wanted a gutsy and dogged opener, then Athers was your man.
3. Rahul Dravid
Born on January 11th, 1973, Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Nicknamed The Wall and for good reason. He debuted for India against England on June the 20-24 1996. A right-handed batter who is regarded as one of the all-time greatest openers.
He was an orthodox opener and kept most attacking teams at bay with his stonewall defense. He gave his team breathing room and blunted the new ball again and again and proved his worth at the top.
Players such as Sachin Tendulkar would come to the crease with a decent amount of runs on the board which would ease the pressure on him to relax and play his natural game. He has credited Dravid in the past for making his job easier.
Dravid’s power of concentration was unsurpassed in his era of cricket and his level will be hard to match by any of the new young Indian batsman coming to the crease to play for their country.
He was also very handy in the slips for India taking 210 catches for his side. In Adelaide in 2003 India won a test against the great Australian side and Dravid batted 835 minutes over 2 innings against one of the best bowling attacks of all time.
It was the first time India had beaten Australia in Australia for a generation. He played an instrumental role in defeating the Aussies.
Rahul Dravid Career Stats
- Tests: 164
- Runs scored: 13288
- Batting average: 52.3
- 100s/50s: 36/63
- Highest score: 270
In a game where concentration is key to winning then Rahul Dravid should be at the top of the order where he belongs.
4. Sourav Ganguly
Born July 8th ,1972, Calcutta (now Kolkata), Bengal.
A left-handed batsman who mastered his offside shots and was the bookend at the top of the order along with Rahul Dravid. Considered one of the greatest opening batting pair of their generation. He made a test century on debut for against England in 1996 at the home of cricket Lords.
He took over as captain in 2000 and went onto becoming one of the most successful Indian captains of all time. Ganguly galvanized the Indian team and is credited for the resurgence of Indian cricket.
He also opened in ODI’s along with the great Sachin Tendulkar. He earns his spot on this list not just for his leadership skills but his leading from the front and being a top order batsman and opener.
Sourav Ganguly Career Stats
- Tests: 113
- Runs: 7212
- Batting average: 42.17
- 100s/50s: 16/35
- Highest score: 239
A great opener with a wonderful cricketing brain.
5. Justin Langer
Born in Perth Western Australia Justin Langer was a talented young cricketer in his early years.
He debuted in the 92- 93 West Indian tour. He struggled for form initially and just held onto his spot at first drop in the Australian side. He was only 22 at the time. He was elevated to opening batsman alongside the great Mathew Hayden in the 2001 ashes series.
He scored a century in the final match of the series and went on to score another two centuries in the next two tests to cement his place as Australia’s other great opener of that era.
In his last 5 matches Langer scored 413 runs at an average of 51.62, rounding off a great career to win the Ashes in style. He later went on to coach the Australian side between 2018 to 2022.
Justin Langer Career Stats
- Tests: 105
- Runs scored: 7696
- Average: 45.27
- 100s/50s: 23/30
- Highest score: 250
Known as Alfie, Langer cemented his name in cricketing history alongside his partner and friend Matthew Hayden in one of the greatest opening partnerships off all time.
