Top 5 Indian Test batsmen of the decade

Indian cricket has had a resurgence in the Test format in recent years. Gone are the days when the country's batsmen would cower and surrender meekly against strong bowling attacks; India now have skilled batsmen who have made their mark both at home and overseas.

This decade saw the rise of some great players, and at the same time witnessed the retirements of legends such as Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman. Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and the likes rose to the occasion to fill the huge holes left in Indian Test cricket by these legends.

As we move towards the end of the decade, it seems fitting to make a list of the five Indian batsmen who lit the Test format on fire with their on-field exploits.

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#5 Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is arguably the greatest batsman of all time. He holds a lot of records in Test cricket too, with his total tally of 15,921 runs being the most by any batsman in the history of the format. He was a cornerstone in the Indian Test team, continuing in the longer format of the game well after retiring from ODIs.

Tendulkar played 38 innings this decade, scoring 2951 runs at an astounding average of 50.01. He hit eight centuries and 14 half-centuries in this time frame.

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Overall Tendulkar played 200 Tests for the country, with his last match being played at the Wankhede stadium where he scored a useful 74 before getting out and walking back for the last time in his Test career. He retired in the year 2013, stacking up a grand total of 51 centuries.

That he still manages to feature in the top 5 batsmen of this decade is a testament to his greatness.

#4 Murali Vijay

Murali Vijay celebrates after scoring a century

Murali Vijay clicked very well with Shikhar Dhawan as an opener in the Test format. He hit centuries overseas with enviable ease, and became an important part of India's Test setup.

Vijay's mammoth opening stands with Dhawan helped the team score freely on a solid foundation. He was also able to translate his success to the limited-overs format to some extent.

Vijay scored 3821 runs from 102 innings, hitting 12 centuries and 14 half-centuries. He was at the peak of his form in the year 2014, scoring a mammoth 852 runs with two centuries and five half-centuries.

Injuries and bad luck derailed his momentum a bit, but he has still managed to stay on the fringes of the team. He last played a Test match back in 2018 against Australia.

Coincidentally, Vijay is best remembered for his gritty knock of 144 against Australia, propelling India to a mammoth score of 408.

#3 Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane

The vice-captain of the Indian Test team comes in at number 3 with a total of 4084 runs and an average of 43.91. Ajinkya Rahane has made huge waves in all formats of the game and is considered one of the key members who can carry the Indian Test team to further glory.

Rahane has produced commendable performances overseas as well as on home soil. Although he did try to replicate his success in the limited-overs format, he had mixed results.

Rahane has always managed to stay away from controversies, focusing more on his game and technique. Although he recently went through a rough patch, he broke through it to get back into fine touch.

Rahane has scored 11 centuries and 21 half-centuries in this decade. He has been a dependable presence in the middle order throughout, proving his worth as the vice-captain of India's Test team.

#2 Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara was considered by some to be a lost opportunity. While there were no doubts about the talented Saurashtra batsman's potential, his knee injuries posed a big threat to his presence in a team with a high fitness threshold.

However, Pujara's performances in the domestic circuit were too good to be ignored. After he got his chance, he seized it with both hands and went on a run-scoring rampage, hitting centuries and double centuries with ease.

As of this writing, Pujara has scored 5740 runs at an average of 49.48. He has hit 18 centuries and 24 half-centuries. Those are staggering numbers for a player written off as a missed opportunity by many.

Pujara's story has been one of passion and the determination to make it big. He has become known for his calm and collected mindset, and has been touted as the perfect successor to Rahul Dravid.

#1 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has firmly established himself at the peak of the batting mountain. The heir-apparent to the god-like Sachin Tendulkar, Kohli has been on a run-scoring rampage, slamming 70 centuries in his international career already. Out of those 70, 27 centuries have been in the longest format of the game.

Kohli has been scoring runs at a very quick rate and has broken a lot of records. He has amassed a mind-boggling 7202 runs in the past 10 years, with seven double centuries and 27 centuries. At 31 years of age, these numbers are just incredible.

Kohli has averaged about 57.81 in the past 10 years, scoring tons of runs overseas as well as in the Indian subcontinent.

His brash attitude and once-in-a-lifetime talent mesh extremely well and have created a cricketing powerhouse. With almost another decade left in his cricketing career, it is quite possible that Kohli just might eclipse the greats like Tendulkar and Brian Lara to become the greatest of all time.