He isn't its about the only anomaly on the list. I wouldn't even include him. But lets swap an Aussie for an Aussie; Victor Trumper, Bill Ponsford or Bobby Simpson would all be better.
And Desi Haynes didn't make the list? Marcus Trescothick joke atrocious away record. Once heard of him (I think a quote from Flintoff) he gets home sick going around the corner for a pint of milk
In the 2nd half of his career Sunny used to be a free stroke batsman. In his last 5-6 years he used to be very Stylist batsman like Vishy. In his early dayes he used to be a very watchful and slow batsman because the batting line up of India was very poor. Sunny used to be more than 50% of Indian batting. He used to be always under pressure - under pressure - under pressure -----
Nice to see Herbert Sutcliffe finally getting the credit he deserved. Along with Hobbs he formed the greatest of all batting partnerships. Imagine a test side whose openers could guarantee you 118 runs every time they went to the wicket. They played on uncovered wickets with only the most basic protection, pads, gloves and box.
The greatest opening batsman was Barry Richards. I know he never played many test matches. He played against the best(bowlers) from Australia, England, India and The West Indies. In 1970-71, as an overseas player for South Australia, Richards scored 325 runs in a single day against Western Australia off an attack that included Dennis Lillee, Graham McKenzie, Tony Lock and Tony Mann In that season he hit 1538 runs in 10 matches at an average of 109.8. He scored more runs for Hampshire in one season(his first season) than any other player for 1 season opening the batting with another fabulous batsman...Gordon Greenidge!
@@arunchikodikar397 Barry Richards SMASHED thousands of runs in Australia and England...you obviously do not know anything about cricket....take a look at ALL the players playing in Australia...he has more runs and better averages than the Chapel brothers....or any other player...also in England...he made more runs than every player...and had a better average than any other player playing in England....and that includes Viv Richards and EVERY West Indies batsman....and the West Indies were regarded as the BEST team in the 70's and 80's...
When you read some of those comments they are way off track, because David Warner is a far better bat's than Greenidge, Haynes, Barry Richard. Because Warner scored triple hundreds in test cricket, plus he scores more runs and test hundreds. Than who they are comparing with Warner, and he is more reliable than those batsmen. How the hell you are going to compare Barry Richard's with David Warner and, he only played 4 test matches. Anybody who knows about cricket, it is really hard to compared certain players. Because they does not play enough test cricket, also scoring runs plus hundreds. To compared with Warner with almost 9,000 test runs with about 28 to 29 test hundreds with a triple hundreds. So it is really hard to compared apples and pears here, because David Warner is way ahead of Greenidge and Barry Richard's, ok
Plenty of people won't agree with you, but Barry Richards only played four tests, because of that country's governments stance on sport. However, if you check his first class figures in South Africa, Australia and England then every person will know he more than held his own.
South Africa's Barry Richards, was the Gr8est of them all, but doesn't qualify with only 4 Tests Matches Played, before South Africa was banned from International Test Cricket in 1970. His Average of 72.57, doesn't begin to tell the tale of how Gr8 a Batsman he was, Guys.....Cheers from Damo.
Barry Richards was obviously a great player but its a case of maybe and if with him. Many batsmen would have beaten him on average over their first 4 matches.
@@robertcameron3709 Not Many Robert...No point putting a comment on my comment, if U can't back it up with some stats...Which Opening Batsmen had a Higher Average after 4 Tests?....In the old days, they played on uncovered wickets, so not conducive to Rookie Opening Batsmen Dominating...Even Jack Hobbs averaged 43.14 after 5 Tests, for example...The Answer is Sunil Gavaskar, who Averaged 154.80 in 4 Tests on Debut versus the West Indies in March 1971. He Scored 774 Runs in a Phenomenal Rookie Performance and it is still The Highest by a Rookie Batsman, let alone an Opener....I saw Sunil Bat and I saw Barry Richards Bat, both at The Gabba in Brisbane....Sunil in 1977 and Barry in 1978 and I can tell U Barry was Unbelievable...He thrashed Joel Garner, Andy Roberts and Wayne Daniel around the Gabba to make 92, when all the other World 11 batsmen struggled, with none getting past 30 runs in a Total of 197. The West Indies in Reply were bowled-out for 107...Their much vaunted batting line-up was not up to the task versus the South African Fast Bowler Garth Le Roux, who was Very Quick and Dangerous on a fast wicket like The Gabba. The Highest Score was All-Rounder Collis King with 25, to give U some idea how difficult it was that day....Not difficult for Barry and he was in a different class to the others at that time....I saw Sunil Bat in the 1st Test at The Gabba in 1977 and he was out cheaply in the 1st Innings against an average bowler in Wayne Clark...Jeff Thomson was the other Opening Bowler and he bowled quickly, taking 3 Wickets. Sunil got 113 in the 2nd Innings, but Thommo was off the field with an injury for most of that Innings, after Thommo had taken 3 quick wickets early to have India struggling...He left the field to get treatment and Sunil capitalized on his absence....Sunil was a Gr8 Batsman, but not at Barry's level, IMHO, Robert.....Cheers from Damo.🍻😀👍
@@damianbowyer2018 so on the basis of that Richards would have maintained his average. Bowlers wouldn't have worked him out. His first class average is a better indication of his stature, and at 54 is better than most.
@@robertcameron3709 Yep Robert, Bowlers didn't work Barry out, as he had no trouble against any type of bowling on any type of wicket (good or bad), unlike virtually all Test Cricketers...Even Sir Donald Bradman had Trouble against Extreme Pace, just as Sir Garfield Sobers had trouble against Leg Spin...Sir Vivian Richards had trouble against Leg Spinners, as well and Graeme Pollock had trouble against Extreme Pace....Sunil Gavaskar had trouble against Spin, but was Gr8 against Extreme Pace....Including Barry Richards, these are the Top 6 Batters of All-Time, IMHO...Barry only Played in The Currie Cup in South Africa, County Cricket in England & World Series Cricket in OZ, because of South Africa's Ban fm Test Cricket in 1970....It is well known that he wud thrash the bowling in all these Competitions, but wud throw his wicket away, as he got disinterested, because it meant nothing and thus why his average was 54.74...Graeme Pollock has said, that if Barry was allowed to play Test Cricket during those years in the 70's, he wudn't have thrown his wicket away like he did so many times, playing County Cricket in England...He also said that Barry Richards and Sir Garfield Sobers are the Best Batters he has ever seen....I have seen them all Batting in OZ, except 4 Sir Donald Bradman of course and Barry was the Best of Them, Robert...Cheers from Damo🍻😀👍
Desmond Haynes is missing - the only obvious one for me. Jack Hobbs and Len Hutton were mind boggling batsmen. They would have averaged 70 in today's age. In post-1970 players, Sunil Gavaskar and Gordon Greenidge would be my openers. Sunil Gavaskar the slow and serene. Gordon Greenidge the swashbuckling. Not a bad list.
That list has no merit. What happened to Gayle and the 2 greatest opening batsmen ever (Greenidge/Haynes)? No other opening batsmen faced 5he quantity of top quality bowling like those 2.
Those guys never faced the greatest of all bowling attacks, which were the West Indies from the seventies to the late nineties. Boycott, Gooch and Gavaskar all did, and also faced up to the great Aussie attacks of that time. All 3 prospered and were the bedrock of their sides. The universe boss was always too slow on his feet and needed good batting strips to perform on.
@@robertcameron3709 Gayle not moving his front foot the way a top line batsman should has nothing to do with his success. The amount of innings he played, his batting average and the amount of centuries should determine any batsman success. Gayle average 42 in test which is good but with only 14 test century and more than 100 test matches under his belt, surely would not make the list. Graeme Smith has a 48 average in test matches, played just about the same amount of test matches with twice the amount of centuries but was just as poor with his footwork and always playing across the line made the list. Why?
@@nasirkhan4661 although I don't believe that Gayle should be on the list, seriousness and maturity has nothing to do with his success Averages and the amount of centuries determine the quality of a test batsman.
How come Pakistan’s Hanif Mohammad who holds the world record of staying at the wicket for more than 900 minutes and whose test career average is above 43 in 55 tests is not in the top 20 list ?
Good list. Of course I do not agree with everything but good attempt. I would probably take out Michael Vaughan and put in Roy Fredericks I would also put Gordon Greenidge in top 10
I have to agree with you about Barry Richards, an effortless destroyer of good bowling. Interesting to note that Matthew Hayden has more centuries than 50s - respect to that achievement.
It should be stated that prior to 1939 there were timeless Test matches some of which lasted many days longer than today's Tests. Often played on uncovered tracks dour batsmen could dig into the trenches and hold out with innings timed with an hour glass.
How did you pick these 20? It can't be by runs or averages as neither are in order. Was it just on your opinion or something else? If it's purely opinion, I would say quite a few names are missing. Ponsford, Morris, Slater, Atherton, Rohit Sharma, Wright, Saeed Anwar, Barry Richards, Amla, Gibbs, Jayasuriya, Haynes, Gayle, Fredericks, Hunte, Chanderpaul + plenty others.
Just an opinion:- 1. Sir Jack Hobbs 2. Sir Len Hutton 3. Sunil Gavaskar 4. Herbert Sutcliffe 5. Victor Trumper 6. Bill Ponsford 7. Gordon Greenidge 8. Arthur Morris 9. Graham Gooch 10. Matthew Hayden 11. Geoffrey Boycott 12. Virender Sehwag 13. Saeed Anwar 14. Bob Simpson 15. Graeme Smith 16. Michael Vaughan 17. Justin Langer 18. Vijay Merchant(His FC average of 71.22 is second only to Sir Don Bradman) 19. Barry Richards(in his only 4 tests, against a full strength Australian attack he averaged 72 and continued the same form into the World Series Cricket) 20. Alec Stewart(in 51 tests as a specialist opener, he scored almost 4k runs@47 with 9 tons). HONOURARY MENTIONS: Bruce Mitchell, Bill Lawry, John Edrich, Desmond Haynes, Gary Kirsten, Michael Atherton(he had guts you can't deny that).
@Vicki Kennedy it's about the GREATEST, not who was the QUICKER in scoring runs. Even Sir Don Bradman looked upon Sir Hobbs as the textbook of batting. Had the likes of Hobbs, Hutton or even Vijay Merchant played in Sehwag's or Cook's era, they'd have compiled twice their final tally. And it's not me who says so, commentators from Wisden have mentioned that if batsmen are technically correct against all kinds of bowling and have at par fitness(like Sachin, Gooch, Allan Border), they can score faster in tests than in ODIs.
Say and pick who you like, the fact remains Sunil Gavascar faced the most fierce bowing from Austraila ( Lillie and Thompson) he then faced all of the West Indian bowlers at the top of their game, plus England and Pakistan ...after all of this he ended up retiring with the most test runs in the history of the game...so yes, he will always be the greatest opening batsman in test cricket for me.
Great list again. Agree Hobbs Sutcliffe and Hutton were mind boggling and probably would have averaged 60+ today. Interested in rationale of choice of Mitchell at 4th best with a 26 Test body of work that too in a (relatively) batting friendly era..?
Very hard to judge from era to era all g8 players in there time. Do not envy the batsmen now. Repays analysis) to find any faults that bowlers can utilise and skippers can set fields to limit scoring much harder for them now.
For me Sunil Gavaskar is number one... Bcz he played more dangerous bowlers likes Marshall, holding, garner, Peterson, Roberts, Imran , Sarfaraz, Qadir, Botham , Lilly, Thomson, Headley, etc etc & scored tonnes of runs in their territory... Without any support from other end.... As far as opening is concerned Nobody can be better than him.
The best opening batsman in test matches has to be Sunil Gavaskar. The reason is simple he batted in the era of some of the best fast bowlers the game has seen without a helmet.
And just think, Langer average 48 and Hayden average 50 opened together 122 times. They had a partnership average of 51 facing the new ball, what a combination. Greenidge and Haynes a close second.
Why wasn't Bill Ponsford included?He played on uncovered wickets with no protection, and only batsman with 2 400s for long time. Where is Glen Turner?and why include John Edrich,who in later years played at one down. Lawry lacked the spirit of the game and should have made way for Desmond Haynes. Sanath Jayasurya also deserves to be in.
Gavaskar should be at one 1. You cannot compare a batsman who has played 50 or 60 tests or Mitchell who has played 100 test matches or 95 test matches. Just don't go by averages. I have enormous respect for Sutcliffe, Hutton Hobbs etc. They were legends no doubt
Whoever is composing this list is only going by batting average without giving any regard to the kind of fast bowlers the batsmen faced. Gavaskar should be ranked at the top. Haynes and Gordon Greenidge should be featured more prominently. Frankly not a very well thought out list
This should of been your favorite picks of all time not the best openers of all time I disagree with this list poorly done but never the less thanks for trying
Imagine Haynes name isn't on the list of opening batsmen, Gayle who made two times triple centuries in test cricket names is missing too. Them bias minded people that select some names that people don't knows of and with the least runs for a opening batsmen like Gayle. Them selection always different from the statistics.
Saeed Anwar has scored runs with 45.5 % average in Test Matches and played 55 test matches. I disagree and it’s white opening batsman’s list. Not the top 20 Openers of the world.
I appreciate that everyone can have differing choices, but when you put forth a "Greatest" list for public consumption there needs to be something more than just total numbers to justify a ranking - maybe an analysis or other criteria or a supporting commentary to uphold the choices. Even so, if plain numbers are the criteria, then I am not sure if Bruce Mitchell (who scored only 2390 runs - most of it against one country) can justifiably be put at number four especially if you excluded, in the list, the likes of Desmond Haynes, Chris Gayle, Jayasuria, to name a few, all of whom piled a huge number of runs at a high strike rate against several teams. If total number of runs is not the only criteria, then one could include players like Barry Richards, whose sublime destructiveness and class was rated most highly by all his peers - but suffered from being able to play only 4 tests (Still, where he averaged 72)
For Sunil Gavaskar statistics is wrong. I am sure Gavaskar scored over 10000 runs and the first batsman to score 10k in test cricket. Please check before circulating wrong information.
I only watch this to see how many English and Australian players would be featured. Surely if you had gone back to 1066 more English players would have featured. You miss a trick there.
Ok decent list but David Warner was wayy to high. The guy averages in the 30s outside Australia, completely unacceptable. And with all due respect, Bruce Mitchell was not a better opener than Sunil. Hutton and Hobbs >Sutcliffe
Hey man, Gavaskar's highest score was 236 in Chepauk against the West Indies. Not 221 (which he made against england at the oval). Never mind, he made 236 not as opened, though he walked in at 0 for 2 in the 2nd over.
@@satishb17 I think he's counting only the runs/centuries/HS etc etc scored as opener. Gavaskar's HS is 236 in chepauk against WI. But he was not an opener in that match.
The 2 best opening batsmen I saw were Gavaskar & Barry Richards, I obviously never saw the Top 4. Lawry was a better batsmen than Cook so should be higher than him.
Jack Hobbs and len Hutton play only against two or three countrys,to me and I say for a lot of people Gorden Greenwich/Desmond Haynes and Mathew Hayden/Justin langer,were obvious the greatest opening batsma,you can throw in Alistair Cook too,the others are a long way away
@@robertcameron3709 mate gavaskar was boring to watch he was so slow he would watch start his innings in the morning by the afternoon he would be 30 or 40 runs
@@waynemarchel9667 you don't get points for entertainment. The very greatest batsman of all time, and the man who developed the modern game, stated the case quite clearly, " its a batsmans job to score runs, not to look pretty." By the standard you seem to have applied how could you exclude Sehwag?
How Warner, Sehwag, Hayden is better than Grame Smith,Gordon Greenidge or Mark Taylor? I didn't watch the first four players, so no comment. But I think number six should be Greenidge. Also Desmond Haynes was far far better than Warner or Hayden or Vaugon or Trescothick or Langer or Graham Gooch.
Agree with most of what you say, except that Hayden was definitely world class, he found a way to dominate on Indian pitches like few other foreign batsmen.
Reading all those comments, very one is entitled to their own opinions but. It is one thing that they should know, that opinions and facts is two different things. Some of the batsmen what they are talking about, they does not played enough test matches. Also have enough runs to be rated into certain categories, because Barry Richard's does not played enough test matches plus runs,Roy Frederick's. Let say any batsmen that does not scored 7,000 and 10 test hundreds. They cannot fall into this kind of categories, so would you placed. Jack Hobbs does not played enough test matches, although he scored 199 centuries. The majority of them did not scored in test matches, so his name shouldn't mention at all. Some people should try to understand what, the context of the sentence is all about. It said the greatest test openers, so players who does not played certain amount of test matches. Also with hundreds, also double and triple hundreds during their test careers. How are you is going to compared a test openers with 2 triple hundreds, in their careers. To a another openers who don't have a double hundreds in test cricket, so tell me how you defined greatest. Some people don't understand what is greatness and, talking foolishness about certain bowlers. Any good batsmen will be able to scored runs against any bowlers, because they have good techniques. There are a lot of great test openers, Sunil Gavakar, Graham cooch,Geoffrey Boycott, John Headwrich, Gayle with his 2 triple hundreds, Sew Wagg with his two triple, separated from the rest of openers. David Warner with one triple to his name, cooch,John Headwrich.So all the openers with triple hundreds under their belts in test cricket, they should be ahead of the rest of test openers.
What nonsense ? Sunny at number 5 ! The number one spot belongs only to Sunil Manohar Gavaskar. No one else comes even close. And by the way where is Saeed Anwar , even as Micheal Vaughan and Marcus Trescothik find a place ?You guys must be joking.
