5 of the greatest openers in the history of ODI cricket

Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar

The role of an opener in ODI cricket is extremely crucial, to say the least. The opener is the one who lays the foundation for an innings and sets the tone for other batsmen who follow.

In this article, let us look at five of the greatest openers in the history of ODI cricket

5. Brendon McCullum

He was a man who was absolutely fearless in his approach to batting. McCullum did not take a step back, and decimated bowlers of the caliber of Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Dale Steyn.

His ability to judge the length in a fraction of a second made him the most feared New Zealand batsman of his time.

The swashbuckling right-hander played 260 ODIs for New Zealand and scored 6083 runs at an average of 30.42 and an incredible strike rate of 96.37.

Record

Matches: 260 Runs: 6083 100s: 5 50s: 32 Average: 30.42 Strike Rate: 96.37

4. Virender Sehwag

“See Ball, hit Ball” was Sehwag’s mantra. It did not matter if it was the first ball of the innings; if the ball was meant to be hit, then Sehwag would send it crashing into the boundary.

Sehwag, along with the iconic Sachin Tendulkar, formed one of the greatest opening pairs ever produced by India in ODI cricket. The artistry of Tendulkar and the audacious stroke play of Sehwag sent shivers down the spines of the best of the bowlers.

Sehwag will perhaps best be remembered for the blistering 219 that he scored against the West Indies, and also for the way he ripped Umar Gul apart in the semifinal of the 2011 World Cup.

In the 251 ODIs that Sehwag played for India, he scored 15 hundreds and 38 fifties at a mind-boggling strike rate of 104.33.

Record

Matches: 251 Runs: 8273 100s: 15 50s: 38 Average: 35.06 Strike Rate: 104.33

3. Sanath Jayasuriya

Jayasuriya will probably go down as the greatest batsman Sri Lanka has ever produced, on par with the great Kumar Sangakkara.

Jayasuriya’s ferocious drives through the off side, powerful flicks over mid-wicket, and incredible slashes over third man will be etched in the minds of cricket lovers forever.

In a staggering 445 matches, Jayasuriya scored a colossal 13430 runs at a strike rate of 91.20 including 28 hundreds and 68 fifties.

Record

Matches: 445 Runs: 13430 100s: 28 50s: 68 Average: 32.36 Strike Rate: 91.20

2. Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist
Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist is easily the greatest wicketkeeper-batsman in the history of ODI cricket. Gilchrist, along with Matthew Hayden, decimated bowling attacks with disdain at the top of the order.

His cover drive through the off side and his flick over square leg that sent the ball soaring into the crowd made him a nightmare for bowlers. His whirlwind 149 in the 2007 World Cup final will probably go down as one of the greatest knocks ever in World Cup history.

In the 287 matches that he played for Australia, he scored 9619 runs including 55 fifties and 16 hundreds at a strike rate of 96.95

Record

Matches: 287 Runs: 9619 100s: 16 50s: 55 Average: 35.89 Strike Rate: 96.95

1. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is a name that is almost synonymous with the game of cricket.. Hailed as the “God Of Cricket” for his staggering achievements, Tendulkar holds just about every single batting record in the game, including that for the most runs (18426), most hundreds(49), most fifties (96) and the most man of the match awards (62), just to name a few.

Tendulkar’s effortless straight drive made your jaw drop, while his ability to whip the ball between mid-wicket and square leg with the precision of a surgeon made the bowlers gape at him.

His knock of 143 in Sharjah, famously hailed as the desert storm innings, will go down in history as one of the greatest knocks ever played in ODI cricket.

Record

Matches: 463 Runs: 18426 100s: 49 50s: 96 Average: 44.83 Strike Rate: 86.24

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Edited by Musab Abid