20 batsmen whose Test average never dipped below 40: Part 1

(11) William Lawry (Australia): 1961-1971

Bill Lawry was the first Australian captain to win a series in India.

Matches: 67, Runs: 5234, Average: 47.15, Highest: 210, 100/50: 13/27.

Lowest Career Average: 40.29 (10th Test)

Bill Lawry will always be remembered for his commentary stint, but make no mistake about it, Lawry was one of Australia's finest cricketers. Lawry made his test debut in the 1961 Ashes in England.

Lawry scored 420 runs at an average of 52.50, including 2 hundreds and 2 half-centuries as Australia eked out a 2-1 series victory. Lawry continued on his merry ways, he brought up 1000 test runs in his 12th test with a fantastic 157 against South Africa at Sydney in 1961.

Bill Lawry captained Australia in 25 tests, winning 9 and losing 8. This may not look brilliant on paper, but it included two of Australia's greatest series victories. Lawry became the first Australian captain to win a test series in India in 1969.

The left-hander scored 239 runs as Australia won the five test series 3-1. In the Australian Summer preceding the Indian tour, Lawry's Australia registered an impressive series victory over Gary Sobers' West Indies.

Lawry was in fine form during that series, and lead the team from the front. Lawry scored a hundred in the first test at Brisbane, a test Australia lost. It was not to deter Bill, who scored a double hundred in the next test at Melbourne.

Lawry finished the series with a magnificent 151 on an underprepared Sydney wicket as Australia won the 5 test series 3-1. As it turned out, it was Lawry's test hundred as well. He scored 667 runs in that series. It was the second time Lawry had scored more than 500 runs in a series, he also scored 592 runs in the home Ashes of 1965.

Lawry was a free-flowing batsman when he started, but later re-invented his game and became a grafter, which ultimately led to his downfall. Lawry scored 321 runs at a strike-rate of 26 in the 1970/71 Ashes and was dumped midway in the series as a captain as well as a player as Australia lost the 6 test series 2-0.

A left-handed opening batsman, Bill Lawry played 66 tests in his career. He played 123 innings in his and opened in every single one of them. He scored 5234 runs in those tests at an average of 47.19. It included 13 hundreds and 27 half-centuries.

Lawry scored 2 double hundreds in his career, his highest score was 210 which he scored against West Indies at the Kensington Oval in 1965.

It is a testament to Lawry's brilliance as a commentator that whenever his name is mentioned, mind deflects to Lawry the commentator. But, Lawry was one of Australia's most consistent batsmen who lead to them some great victories.

Lawry barely misses out on the Top 10 of this list to a fellow Australian, but it does not take away any of his great accomplishments.

---