Cricket as a sport has changed over the previous several decades. Test cricket was the sole version of the game in the 1950s. However, as time has gone by, the organizers have incorporated a number of different cricket formats. ODI and T20 cricket has changed the game, but one thing has remained constant: the importance of openers. To guarantee that their team can put up a large score on the board, the opening batsmen must give great starts. Many of today’s best openers began their careers as middle-order batters. They only became successful once team management promoted them to the top of the order.
The Indian cricket team is among the finest in the world for generating some of the greatest openers of all time. Many of them, though, began their careers in the middle of the order before moving to the top of the lineup.
1. Rohit Sharma
With a solid top-order in place, Rohit Sharma was given a spot in the middle-order when he made his ODI debut in 2007. He clung to his position on the bench, but erratic contributions were becoming a serious cause of concern. When 2013 rolled along, the world saw a different Rohit. In an early 2013 match against England, he opened the batting with Gautam Gambhir and scored an 83-run knock. He eventually became an opener and remained at the top.
2. Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag had a solid start to both his ODI and Test career as a middle-order batsman. During the 2002 tour of England, he was thrown into the unusual position of opening the batting, and his game took off to another level.
3. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar has more international runs than anybody else in the world. However, things were not always going well for the ‘Master Blaster,’ as he did not receive enough opportunities to show off his immense skill when batting in the middle order. He then pushed to open the batting, which radically changed his career.
4. Sourav Ganguly
Ganguly was not selected in the Indian squad for four years after a dismal debut in 1992. When the opportunity arose in 1996, he scored a few remarkable points at No.3, before being relegated to Nos. 7 and 8 for the remainder of the season. In that year’s Titan Cup against South Africa, Ajay Jadeja dropped down the order, and Ganguly paired Tendulkar at the top for the first time. It was the first step in one of the greatest partnerships in one-day cricket, the only pair in the game to have scored 8,000 ODI runs together. Ganguly went on to become a regular opening batsman after that (barring a phase in the middle order from 2003 to 2005).
5. Rahul Dravid
Because he was not a regular-choice opener, Rahul Dravid has opened fewer innings for India than the other four batsmen on this list. Dravid, on the other hand, was requested to open on several occasions, particularly in foreign settings, because of his solid technique and perfect attitude. ‘The Wall’ of Indian cricket was a real team player who contributed significantly with the bat at the top.
