After a resounding performance in the 1st Test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy, Ravichandran Ashwin was asked the question – “Who are India’s greatest Batters at the Opening slot?” The Veteran off-spinner was clear about his choices but one of the names did raise a few eyebrows.
In terms of Test cricket, Ashwin thinks 1983 World cup winner, the Little Master Sunil Gavaskar and the ever explosive batter Virender Sehwag are 2 of India’s greatest openers ever in the longest format of the sport. Fair to say, Sunil Gavaskar is indeed one of the country’s most handsome Openers ever having 10,122 runs in 214 Test innings with a decent average of 51.12.
Virender Sehwag on the other hand is arguably one of the best hard hitters of the ball in world cricket. During his playing days, the 2011 ICC Cricket World cup winner had bowlers think more than twice about their strategies as the Nawab of Najafgarh had changed the usual batting template to an extremely aggressive style of batting.
His top 2 picks aren’t surprising at all. But his 3rd choice for India’s greatest openers ever could be a little controversial. Many Indian cricket fans would say Gautam Gambhir is the 3rd best opener ever but according to Ashwin, the Delhi born leftie is not one of the bests.
According to Ashwin, his fellow statesman and retired cricketer Murali Vijay is his 3rd greatest opening batter from India.
“M Vijay, according to me the greatest opener for India outside of Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag, and Puji are quite similar in that they haven’t been celebrated enough. They also had some of the most hilarious arguments. They used to do the most difficult job in Test cricket – play out the new ball in testing conditions, as we tend to need to do whenever we go abroad – so it is par for the course to have a few eccentricities emerge from that kind of partnership.”
