10 middle-order batsmen who became great openers

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is the first man to score a double century in ODIs

The man with almost every ODI record for a batsman under his name, was arguably the best opening batsman of his time. He played ODIs for 23 long years, but didn't start off in the role of an opener.

He made his debut at No.5 and returned with two consecutive ducks. Coming in at No. 4 and 5, Sachin played in the middle order until 1994 and didn't get a single hundred in his first 78 ODIs. However, the phenomenon started in Auckland against New Zealand, when he was sent as an opener along with Ajay Jadeja. Chasing a small target, he scored a 49-ball 82, and made his mark at the top. What followed, was a record 49 ODI centuries and the most runs in the game by any batsman, in an ODI career that continued till 2012. He also became the first man to reach the 200-run mark in an ODI innings. No one knows how his career would have panned out if Azharuddin hadn't asked him to open on that day in 1994.