Top 10 Australian ODI openers of all time

The first One Day International (40 over) was played between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in January 1971 and the hosts won it comprehensively by five wickets.

Australia, the current number three team in the ICC ODI Rankings, have been the most competitive and successful unit in the 46-year-old history of ODI cricket.

The holders are the only team on the planet to feature in four consecutive World Cup finals (1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007), and the first team to win three consecutive world titles (1999, 2003 and 2007).

The five-time world beaters have never been short of great players and have always been a formidable batting side.

Now, let's have a look at the top 10 ODI openers who represented the team from Down Under.

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#10 Graeme Wood

Known as Australia's 'crisis man', Graeme Wood was courageous and didn't flinch, even against the most ferocious fast bowling attacks in the world.

Between 1978 and 1985, Wood opened in 70 ODIs for Australia and scored 2,017 runs at an average of 33.61. The former chief executive of the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA), scored three tons and ten fifties as an opener.

A former footballer for the East Fremantle Football Club, Woods got his highest ODI score of 114* in a losing cause against England in a 1985 ODI at Lord's.

#9 Aaron Finch

The hard-hitting Australian opener, Aaron Finch made his ODI debut in January 2013 against Sri Lanka and has been a regular member of the side since then.

In 84 ODIs, the right-handed aggressive opener from Victoria scored 2,925 runs at an average of 36.56, including eight centuries and 17 fifties.

Finch's top score of 148, his maiden ODI century, came during Australia's 200-run win over Scotland in a 2013 50-over game played at Edinburgh.

#8 Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor opened the innings for Australia in 109 limited-over games between 1989 and 1997, scoring 3,514 runs at an average of 32.53.

The man who took over the reigns of Australian cricket after the retirement of Allan Border, scored a ton and 28 fifties while opening the batting for his team.

Tubby's only ODI century came against India during a 1996 50-over game at Bangalore, when he scored 105 off 144 balls but still ended up on the losing side.

#7 Shane Watson

Shane Watson, the first Australian to score tons in all three formats of the game, opened the innings in 95 ODIs between 2006 and 2013.

The highest-paid non-Indian cricketer in the world for five consecutive years (2011 to 2015), scored 3,882 runs at an average of 45.13, including seven centuries and 25 fifties.

Watto's highest ODI score of 185* against Bangladesh is the top individual 'not out' score in an innings by an Australian.

In his record-breaking innings at Dhaka in 2011, Watson also ended up hitting 15 sixes, most in a single outing by an Australian.

#6 David Boon

David Boon opened in 120 ODIs for Australia between 1986 and 1995, scoring 3,995 runs at an average of 34.43.

The gritty performer, who scored his first ODI ton against India at Jaipur, brought up all of his five limited-over tons as an opener.

The legend, who was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame this year, got his highest ODI score of 122 in 1988 against Sri Lanka at Adelaide.

#5 David Warner

In September 2017, David Warner played his 100th ODI and became the first Australian and eighth in the world to score a century in the milestone game.

Between 2009 and 2017, the explosive batsman and vice-captain scored 4,249 at an average of 44.72 while opening the batting for his team.

The first Australian to score 7 ODI tons in a calendar year (2016), amassed 178 against Afghanistan in the 2015 ICC World Cup at Perth, helping the hosts post 417 on board - the highest-ever total of the tournament.

The fastest Australian to get to 4000 ODI runs, scored 179, his highest count in the 50-over format, against Pakistan at Adelaide in January this year.

#4 Geoff Marsh

A resolute Geoff Marsh became a key member of the Australian ODI team between 1986 and 1992 when he established himself as a solid opening batsman alongside Mark Taylor and David Boon.

The father of current Australian Test players - Shaun and Mitchell Marsh, Geoff played 116 ODIs and scored 4,357 at an average of 39.97.

Marsh was a vital cog in the champion Australia's 1987 World Cup campaign. His unbeaten 126 against New Zealand at Chandigarh, his highest ODI score, was the highlight of the tournament.

#3 Mark Waugh

Mark Waugh, the most elegant driver of the ball, opened the batting in 141 ODIs for Australia, scoring 5,729 runs at an average of 44.06.

Between 1993 and 2002, Junior, who was born four minutes after the birth of his twin brother Steve Waugh, hit 15 tons and 32 fifties as an opener.

Waugh, who retired as Australia's highest run-scorer and century-maker (18) in ODIs before his records were broken by Ricky Ponting, got his highest score of 173 in 50-over cricket against the West Indies during a 2001 game at Melbourne.

#2 Matthew Hayden

During an international career that spanned fifteen years, the aggressive left-handed Australian opener Matthew Hayden scored 5,892 runs in 148 ODIs at an average of 44.30.

The powerful hitter, who was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2017, scored 10 centuries and 33 half centuries between 1993 and 2008.

In February 2007, Hayden posted his highest ODI score of 181* against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton. It was the highest ODI innings ever by an Australian until the record was broken by Shane Watson's 185* in 2011.

#1 Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist, one of the most prominent members of the formidable Australian team in the late 90s and the early 2000s, scored 9,176 runs at an average of 36.55 as an opener.

Owing to his aggressive approach towards batting, the winner of Allan Border Medal in 2003, hit 16 centuries and 53 fifties at the top of the order.

Voted as 'World's Scariest Batsman' in a poll by international bowlers, Gilchrist brought up his highest ODI score of 172 against Zimbabwe in a 2004 50-over game at Hobart.