Test cricket is the oldest and purest form of cricket. The player can't be called great unless and until he has been successful in the longest format of the game. The role of an opening batsman in test cricket is very important from the team point of view. The art of playing in hostile conditions while remaining composed of a very few of them could do that in test cricket.
Not only it provides the momentum to the team but also laid the foundation of a big score if openers are being successful. Throughout the years the game of cricket is dominated by right-handers but over the last few years the left-handers proving their authority why they are more successful in test cricket.
Having said that, let us take a look at top five greatest left handed batsman with most runs as an opener:
Alastair Cook:
One of the greatest left-handed batsman ever produced by England cricket and world cricket has ever seen. Over the last two decades Alastair cook was the big reason for the success in England cricket history.
The tenacious left-handed batsman has featured in 161 tests scoring 12472 runs with 33 hundreds and 57 fifties. His 33 hundreds is the most by any left-handed batsman in history.
Cook has been phenomenal throughout his career with his exceptional abilities to score runs as an opener which is somewhere too difficult when a player from England where conditions to play is very difficult in test cricket as an opener. Cook had a great time with bat and scored runs against every quality bowling pairs and go down as the most successful players in the England cricket history.
Graeme Smith:
A better test opener or a successful test captain? If we state him a complete cricketer it won't be any wrong in any manner. South Africa cricket can be defined in two eras – Pre Graeme Smith Era and Post Graeme Smith Era. At the age of 22, Smith was given the captaincy after shocking the world cup exit of South Africa in 2003 and he has completely changed the face of South Africa cricket with the force to reckon with and as the most successful captain in South Africa cricket history.
Smith had the ability to big knocks against the best teams in the world which makes him one of the successful openers in test cricket. Graeme Smith's first tour against England in 2003 was turning point of his career when he scored back to back two double hundreds and ended as 714 runs at an average of 79.33 along with man of the series.
Graeme Smith featured in 117 tests scored 9265 runs at an average of 47.76 with 27 hundreds and 38 fifties. Smith as an opener was very successful in forming the partnerships with Herschelle Gibbs and Neil McKenzie to provide resistance at the top order.
Mathew Hayden:
Mathew Hayden was a player of different breed who had defined a new way to play test cricket with his aggressive approach against any bowling attack. Although he had a rough start of his career but once he got going he was an exhibition in every sense. An impact player who was part golden era of Australian team which has filled match-winners.
Along with Justin Langer he formed the most dangerous opening pairs and defined the Australian dominance through 2000-2008 in which Hayden scored over 8000 runs as an opener with an average over 50 which include 30 hundreds just behind Allan Border and Ricky Ponting. A legitimate game-changer even in the subcontinent pitches and destroyed quality spin attack with the flair of his sublime timing.
Hayden featured in 103 tests scored 8625 runs at an average of 50.74 which include 30 hundreds and 29 fifties with a career best score of 380 after surpassing Brian Lara 375 which later on Brian Lara easily breaks it within the span of six months.
Mark Taylor:
One of the most successful batsmen for Australia in the late 80s. Taylor carried the legacy of Allan Border and turned the Australian team into the completely dominating sides in world cricket. Taylor had solid defence and sound technique to score big runs against the quality bowling attacks.
A brilliant captain and an outstanding opener in test cricket along with Michael Slater to build the team of world-beaters.
Taylor featured in 104 tests scoring 7525 runs at an average of 43.5 which include 19 hundreds and 40 fifties.
Chris Gayle:
Quite surprising to see a player who has been successful in T-20 Cricket could easily get into top five as a test opener. But his numbers are enough to back his case as the successful test opener for west Indies in the last two decades.
With his aggressive approach which he followed in the limited overs, Gayle has been quite successful in red ball cricket with his same approach. One of four batsmen in world cricket to have triple hundreds on his name in the longest format of the game.
Gayle featured in 103 tests scoring 7215 runs at an average of 42.19 with 15 hundreds and 37 fifties.
