Being an opening batsman is not that easy because there is a truckload of pressure on them straightaway while facing the opposition. Nonetheless, it is absolutely imperative for the openers to go about their business, with a fearless attitude in the hope that the team gets off to a rock-solid start.
Once the openers pass the initial challenges, then it becomes much easier for them to build a long partnership. The longer the partnership lasts, the better the chances for the team to post a humongous total on the board. Scoring plenty of runs, particularly as an opener both in Tests and ODIs is not everyone’s cup of tea.
However, some batsmen ensured to dictate the terms according to the format and ended up being successful in both formats. In this listicle, let’s dive deep into the list of five players who completed 6000 runs as an opener in both Tests and One-Day Internationals.
1. Desmond Haynes
Desmond Haynes was a successful cricketer for the West Indies cricket team between 1978 and 1994. He thrived as an opener in both Tests and ODIs. The Caribbean scored 7487 runs in Tests and 8648 runs in ODIs.
2. Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag was widely acknowledged as one of the best openers in the world during the playing days of his cricketing career. The former aggressive opening batter scored 8586 runs in Tests and 8273 runs in ODIs.
Also Read:
- 3 South Africans with Most MOTM awards in international cricket
- 5 Players who scored Most Runs as Captain in an Asia Cup tournament
3. Graeme Smith
Graeme Smith was one of the integral parts of South African cricket history. The former Proteas captain is one of the names that completed 6000 runs in both Tests and ODIs as an opener. Overall, he scored 9265 runs in Tests and 6989 runs in ODIs.
4. Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle has been one of the major assets of the West Indies national cricket team. He has been super sensational across all three formats of the game, although his best performances came in ODIs and T20Is. He scored 7214 runs in Tests and 10,480 runs in ODIs.
5. David Warner
David Warner is highly rated as one of the best openers across all three formats of the game. The experienced campaigner is one of the openers who completed 6000 runs as an opener in both Tests and ODIs. He scored 6136 runs in ODIs and 8487 runs in Tests.
6000 runs as Opener in both Test/ODI format
Desmond Haynes
Virender Sehwag
Graeme Smith
Chris Gayle
David Warner*#DavidWarner | #SAvAUS— Cricbaba (@thecricbaba) September 9, 2023
