Top 10 left handed openers with most runs in Test cricket

Opening is a specialist job in Test cricket and only a select few batsmen have been able to perfect the art. While there have been some destructive one-day dashers who tormented the best of bowling attacks, only a handful of them could establish themselves as dependable Test openers.

An opener had to fend off hostile spells against quality bowling to lay a strong foundation for his side. A Test opener has to have all the virtues of an accomplished batsman, be it knowing where their off stump lies, the art of leaving probing deliveries, maintaining calm and composure and having the repertoire of shots to score on batting friendly conditions.

Over the years, there have been some quality batsmen who have donned the role of an opener to perfection. While a majority of the successful openers have been right-handers, there have been some left-handed masters of the willow who have etched their names as world class openers with their run-scoring pedigree.

England opener Alastair Cook who shall bid adieu to Test cricket after the ongoing Test series against India goes down as the most successful left-handed batsman in Test cricket with a staggering 12472 runs and 33 tons to his name. The Englishman also became the highest run scorer as a left-handed opener. While Cook shall certainly go down as the best of the lot, there have been some other left-handed openers who were prolific run-getters in Test cricket.

It would be interesting to draw out a list of the top ten left-handed openers with the most runs in Test cricket. Before we run through the list, I have listed down some left-handed opening batsmen who scored above 4000 Test runs in their respective Test careers.

Left-handed Test openers with 4000 or more runs

John Wright - 5260

Bill Lawry - 5234

Justin Langer - 5112

Roy Fredericks - 4329

Gautam Gambhir - 4119

Tamim Iqbal - 4010

Notable Omission

Saeed Anwar - 3957

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#10 Gary Kirsten

Gary Kirsten

Gary Kirsten was the workhorse of the South African batting unit in the late 90s and early 2000s. The left-handed opener was a prolific run-getter both at home and while touring overseas. Kirsten went about his run scoring in a rather unassuming manner and rarely failed in his role.

Kirsten was more of a run grafter, nudging the ball into gaps and building an innings. Bestowed with loads of patience and a robust technique, Kirsten was the ideal man to open the innings for South Africans when they were relatively new to the Test fold. Gary formed successful opening partnerships with both Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs in Test cricket.

Gary Kirsten's record as a Test opener

Matches: 84; Runs: 5726; Avg: 41.79; 100s: 14; 50s: 28

#9 Marcus Trescothick

Marcus Trescothick

Marcus Trescothick was one of the best opening batsmen in the first decade of the new millennium. The Somerset stalwart was one of England’s batting mainstays under the captaincy of Naseer Hussain and Micheal Vaughan. The aggressive lefthander had both the dimensions of attack and defence in his batting. He could be an aggressor on docile batting tracks or play the sheet anchor’s role to perfection in testing conditions.

The tall and well built English opener replicated his enormous success in white-ball cricket and became England’s frontline opener post the retirement of Micheal Atherton and Alec Stewart.

Marcus Trescothick's record as Test opener

Matches: 76; Runs: 5824; Avg: 43.78; 100s: 14; 50s: 29

#8 Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya

Known for his dangerous opening exploits in ODI cricket, Sanath Jayasuriya was quite successful as an opener in Test cricket. Jayasuriya donned the opener’s role to perfection and was his nation’s frontline top order for almost a decade and a half. The belligerent power hitter adapted to the grind of Test cricket by inculcating a calm and steady approach into his otherwise attacking game. Besides his natural ball striking ability, Sanath could play the waiting game with a dodged defence and sound technique.

For almost a decade, he formed a handy opening pair with the technically sound Marvan Attapatu for the Islanders. Jayasuriya scripted history by becoming the first Lankan to score a triple ton in Test cricket when he registered a mammoth 340 against India. The ‘Matara Mauler’ was a heavy run scorer on the slow and low batting friendly tracks of the sub-continent condition.

Sanath Jayasuriya's record as Test opener

Matches: 90; Runs: 5932; Avg: 41.48; 100s: 13; 50s: 25

#7 David Warner

David Warner

David Warner has arguably been the most destructive left-handed opener in Test cricket since the retirement of Matthew Hayden. The Aussie pocket dynamite has been in prolific run-scoring form over the last five seasons. The aggressive opener provides the ideal trust to the Baggy Greens up the order. Warner relishes fast pitches and has all the shots in his batting arsenal to unleash carnage against the best of bowling attacks.

After Hayden and Langer bid adieu to Test cricket, Warner has stood like an impregnable wall at the top of the Australian batting order. With over 6000 runs at an average of 49, Warner is on his way to establishing himself as one of the best left-handed opening batsmen in Test cricket.

David Warner's record as Test opener

Matches: 74; Runs: 6324; Avg: 49.02; 100s: 21; 50s: 29

#6 Andrew Strauss

Andrew Strauss

Andrew Strauss was one of the most successful English openers of all time. The left-hander forged successful opening partnerships with Micheal Vaughan and Alastair Cook when England were one of the top sides in the Test cricket.

Strauss was a compact opener who played some memorable knocks his against quality seam attacks. The left-handed opener announced himself on the Test scene with a century at Lord’s and never looked backed. A great exponent of the cut shot, Strauss knew his range of stroke play and matured into a consistent run accumulator turning out in exactly in a century of Tests for his nation.

Andrew Strauss' record as Test opener

Matches: 97; Runs: 6741; Avg: 40.85; 100s: 20; 50s: 27

#5 Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle

Many would be surprised to see the self-declared 'Universe Boss' of T20 cricket find a place in this list but Chris Gayle has been West Indies' most successful Test opener in the 21st century. Ever since the departure of the formidable Haynes and Greenidge pair, Windies struggled to get a dependable Test opener.

However, Chris Gayle providing some respite by holding up one end and contribute handsomely with the willow. The Jamaican powerhouse with his unorthodox yet effective strokeplay has been quite successful in red ball cricket scoring over 7000 Test runs at an average of over 40.

Gayle is one of the three batsmen in Test history to have two triple centuries to his name. Much like his belligerent hitting in ODIs, the southpaw’s runs have come at a fair pace in the longer format. Despite him being in and out of the West Indies Test set up, Gayle remains the highest run scoring opener for West Indies in Test cricket.

Chris Gayle's record as Test opener

Matches: 99; Runs: 7028; Avg: 43.11; 100s: 15; 50s: 36

#4 Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor's Test career as an opener was a story of guts and glory. Taylor was Australia's front line opening batsman along with Michael Slater in the early and the mid-90s. The stocky built Taylor was a highly determined character with loads of resilience and self-belief.

‘Tubby’ had all the attributes of a good opening batsman with a sound technique and solid defence. Taylor was not the most stylish batsman but had a strong appetite to score big runs. After going through a horrendous run of form he silenced his critics with a triple ton and equalled Don Bradman’s 334-run mark which at that time was the highest Test score by an Australian.

Along with his brilliant leadership skills which turned Australia into a formidable Test unit, Taylor did a tremendous job as a dependable opener for the most part of the 90s.

Mark Taylor's record as Test opener

Matches: 104; Runs: 7525; Avg: 43.49; 100s: 19; 50s: 40

#3 Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden was one of the most lethal opening batsmen in Test cricket. The big and burly Hayden was a late bloomer in Test cricket but reached lofty heights once he got his opportunity. The Queenslander stood an inch outside his crease and decimated quality seamers with his utter disdain. Hayden was equally adept at playing spin and his exploits in the subcontinent are well known.

‘Haydos’ formed a lethal opening combination with Justin Langer during Australia’s golden era in Test cricket under Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting's captaincy. Seven to eight seasons of heavy run-scoring saw Hayden accumulate over 8000 runs at an impressive average of over 50.

His 30 Test match tons put him only behind Ricky Ponting and Allan Border as Australia’s leading century maker. Few batsmen dreamt of breaking Brain Lara’s herculean 375-run mark which for long stood as the highest individual Test score. Hayden successfully surpassed the gigantic feat with a mammoth 380 against Zimbabwe.

Matthew Hayden's record as Test opener

Matches: 103; Runs: 8625; Avg: 50.73; 100s: 30; 50s: 29

#2 Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith is arguably South Africa’s most successful opener in Test cricket. Smith who donned the captaincy role at a tender age of just 22 went onto become one of Proteas' most accomplished opening batsman in the longer format. Smith wasn’t the most elegant left-hander with flair and panache but had a lot of grit and tenacity to become a prolific run scorer.

Smith certainly had his set of technical flaws but hung in there to overcome all odds. Smith had a penchant to score big hundreds and once he got his eye in, he made the opposition pay with some mammoth double tons.

As an opener, he forged successful partnerships with Herschelle Gibbs and Hashim Amla to provide dependability to South Africa up the order. With over 9000 Test runs at just under the 50 mark average, the left-handed opener had certainly established himself as one of the modern-day batting great.

Graeme Smith's record as Test opener

Matches: 114; Runs: 9030; Avg: 49.07; 100s: 27; 50s: 36

#1 Alastair Cook

Alastair Cook

Alastair Cook would go down as the most successful left-handed opening batsman in Test cricket. The elegant opener has scored more runs than any of his illustrious left-handed contemporaries in Test cricket. With over 12000 runs, Cook has cemented his place as the all-time highest run scorer as a Test opener. Cook's staggering 33 Test tons are the most by a left-handed opener in Test cricket.

For 12 seasons, Cook was England’s most dependable opener forging a formidable opening partnership with Andrew Strauss. It was Cook’s sheer determination, grit and poise which made him succeed at the highest level for over a decade. Cook was skilful at playing both pace and spin and scored a plethora of runs all over the world against quality bowling attacks. His amazing consistency and longevity in top flight Test cricket is a hallmark of his sheer class and pedigree.

Alastair Cook's record as Test opener

Matches: 154; Runs: 11845; Avg: 44.86 100s: 31 50s: 55