Top 5 left-handed opening Test batsmen of all time

Matthew Hayden

When cricket's most-prolific left-handed Test opening batsman of all time called it a day in 2009, he left behind more than just records. Hayden played 103 Tests between 1994 and 2009, scoring 8,625 runs at a mind-boggling average of 50.73.

In 2003, the Australian was ranked as the number one batsmen in both formats of the game and was also named the Wisden Cricketer of the Year.

In October 2003, Hayden scored 380 in a single Test innings against Zimbabwe in Perth to break a 9-year-old record 0f 375 runs held by Brian Lara. However, Lara reclaimed his record by scoring 400* against England in April 2004.

Hayden scored 30 Test centuries with four in consecutive Tests and scored 1,000 or more Test runs for six consecutive years from 2001 to 2006.