Openers who were a bowler's nightmare

This post tries to rank top eight openers who the bowlers preferred to keep at the non-strikers’ end. These are players who can change the game on their day. I am not talking of the textbook openers like Gavaskar, I am dealing with the men who avenged with thunder. Here is my countdown to the most threatening openers the game has seen.

8. Brendon McCullum

Strike Rate: 89Average: 30

Electrifying, exciting and a brutal opener who dispatches the ball for boundaries all over the park. His IPL knock for Kolkata (153) still stands undefeated. His only drawback has been his inconsistency. He makes the list edging out Saurav Ganguly and Kaluwitharana, and holds number 8 spot.

7. Tilakratne Dilshan

Strike Rate: 86Average: 35

The chips and the scoops are not something you relate with an opener. But, Dilshan, an attacking opening choice for Sri-Lanka is ‘cheeky’ and loves to manufacture shots. The 57-ball 96 in T20 World Cup in 2009 was an example of what damage he can do, if let loose. He is at number seven in the ranking.

6. Herschelle Gibbs

Strike Rate: 83Average: 36

There are some players who have oodles of talent but are not consistent. The most destructive batsman on his day, Gibbs was a batsman who could take the game away at any moment. His 175 against Australia will remain etched in cricket lovers’ memory forever. Moreover, his fielding prowess was top-class, matching that of Jonty Rhodes. Had he been consistent, he would have been leading these rankings.

5. Virender Sehwag

Strike Rate: 104Average: 35The Jaat from Delhi can run away with the match before you know. The cuts, the drives race to the fence in seconds. Only thing being, he has been a better Test opener in consistency.

4. Sachin Tendulkar

Strike Rate: 86Average: 44

There are two Sachins that may turn up. One loves been the anchor and stays around. He is not our concern here. We are dealing with the Sachin who bludgeons the attacks with his text book shots. The name needs no justification. He is right up in top four as the most feared openers.

3. Chris Gayle

Str rate: 84Average: 39

Casually aggressive, the towering sixes could force a fielding captain to tear his hair out. The tall robust man is no less than any man here on his day. The only thing that he lacked was consistency, which he acquired later in the career. He makes it to the top three in this list.

2. Matthew Hayden

Strike Rate: 78Average: 43

He has come back twice in the great Oz line-up and turned only more destructive. He is one batsman who had no way of getting out. He stood out of his crease and let the power do the rest.

1. Adam Gilchrist

Strike Rate: 96Avg: 35

If there was any player who ran away with the game, with pulls and hooks that shattered the opposition – it was Gilly. He had this ability to hit big ones early in the match. With Hayden, he easily formed most destructive opening pair ever in ODIs. As a young cricket fan, I remember the fear on the face of bowlers when Gilly took strike. Unmatched till date.I rate him the best in this coveted list.

Who missed out : Sanath Jayasuriya, Saurav Ganguly, Alastair Cook, Saaed Anwar, Gary Kirsten, Graeme Smith, Fleming, Mark Waugh, Kaluwitharana and Strauss.