Ranking the Top 8 Test-openers of all time

#2 Matthew Hayden

Hayden was fierce with the willow in hand

The Australian legend, Matthew Hayden was aggressive and fiery in his approach towards batting. A left-handed batsman, he broke Lara’s record of 375 runs, by hitting 380 runs.

Hayden played 103 Tests and scored 8625 runs at an average of 50.73 which is brilliant.

Glen McGrath said, "It’s been an absolute honor and privilege to play with him, and even more so to call him a mate. I'd have him in every team I played for."

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#1 Sunil Gavaskar

Gavaskar tops the list

Sunil Gavaskar was a technically superior batsman with nerves of steel. An opener for all seasons and conditions, he batted like there was no tomorrow. His power of concentration was unmatched. Equipped with a sound temperament, he could play seam, bounce, off-spin and googly with equal ease.

Colin Cowdrey once said, "A pocket-sized battleship armed with an impenetrable defense and astonishing gunpowder. The bigger the battle, the better the performance."

Gavaskar played at a time when Imran Khan, Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, and Andy Roberts bowled at a pace of 90 miles per hour, and he faced them with his sound technique and elegant stroke play.