5 Greatest Test batsmen of all time

#3 Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies)

Sir Viv Richards

It is quite commonplace for a batsman to be scared of a big, strong fast bowler with extreme pace. In Sir Viv’s case, the tables were turned as most of the fast bowlers were actually scared to bowl to him.

He could decimate any bowling attack on his day with his powerful drives and audacious pulls and hooks. He played 121 test matches and scored 8540 runs at an average of 50.20, but mere stats would not be able to do justice to the impact he had on bowlers all over the world.

Richards scored 24 test centuries and 45 half-centuries and was a part of a dominant West Indian team that managed to beat every other test playing nation during that period. His knock of 291 against England or the 56-ball century he scored in Antigua are still etched in the memory of a lot of cricket-lovers. He also never wore a helmet in his career and relied on his superb reflexes instead to slay the demons of hostile fast-bowling.