One of the greatest rivalries, India against Australia, offers a lot of drama and excitement. Be it any format, the competitiveness stands unmatched. When it comes to the longest format, both teams play for the Border Gavaskar Trophy. The first-ever BGT was played in 1996-97. Since then, fifteen more BGT series have been played out of which, India has won 10 and Australia has won five. The much-awaited test series is played every year or every other year. India has successfully defended the title from the last four times. The great competitors of the game including Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Steven Smith, and Virat Kohli have all represented their respective nations in the highly anticipated series. Let us have a look at the top 10 batters for India in the BGT.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar was a former skipper and a right-handed top-order batter for India. The man who needs no introduction, Tendulkar, was the best-ever batter to grace the game of cricket. His record of 100 international centuries stands unbroken. Tendulkar was the maestro of batting, a ray of sunshine during the dark times in Indian cricket, and a cricketer for a lifetime. Tendulkar started playing at the tender age of 16 against the likes of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. His debut test match against Pakistan came in 1989 which gifted India a batter for the ages. Sachin scored 15921 runs in his test career out of which, 3630 came while playing against Australia.
2. VVS Laxman
One of the Fab four of the Indian batting during the 2000s, VVS Laxman, was a former right-handed middle-order batter for India in the longer formats. One of India’s finest batters, Laxman was a batter with pure grace and possessed the ability to score runs consistently. He made his test debut against South Africa in 1996 and established himself as a promising batter. Laxman was a batter who batted successfully under crunch situations many times. His ability to soak the pressure was compared to none. Out of his 8781 runs in the longest format, Laxman scored 2434 against the mighty Australians in the BGT.
3. Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid was one of the rare Indian batters with more than 10000 runs in the ODIs and the test format. the most patient batter in India, Dravid was the pillar of strength for his team under crunch situations. Currently team India’s head coach in all three formats, Dravid is one of the sharpest brains in the world of cricket. The fine Indian batter was the ‘wall’ for Team India and could bat all day long. His ability to play the longest format as everyone should stood out in his career. Dravid scored 13288 runs in test cricket and 2143 against Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
4. Cheteshwar Pujara
The right-handed no.3 batter for India in the longest format of the game, Cheteshwar Pujara, is the most defensive batter for India. His ability to tire the bowlers mentally and physically defines his mental toughness. Pujara has been one of the prolific run-scorers for India in the test format The patient batter has come out on top often when needed. Just like Rahul Dravid, Pujara likes to play a defensive brand of cricket. His mental strength allows him to release the pressure of his team. He always puts a price on his wicket, and if set at the crease, Pujara takes the game away from the opposition. He has scored 2074 runs against Australia in the BGT.
5. Virat Kohli
The greatest of this generation in all three without any doubt, Virat Kohli, is a top-order batter for India in all the forms of the game. Also, a former skipper, Virat redefined India’s test ability to its highest capability. The man who changed India’s fortunes in the longest format by using his aggressive approach, Kohli, just makes batting look like a piece of cake. In the BGT, Kohli has scored 2042 runs. Under his leadership, India won BGT for the first time in Australia.
6. Virender Sehwag
The fearless Indian batter who redefined opening batting, Virender Sehwag, was a former right-handed batter for India across formats. Known for giving blistering starts to the team, Sehwag was one of the best-attacking batters in the sport. He scored 8586 runs in his test career that lasted 10 years. In the Border Gavaskar Trophy, the batter scored 1738 runs.
7. Sourav Ganguly
The captain who brought the aggressive approach to Indian cricket, Sourav Ganguly, was a former captain and an opening left-handed batter for India in the test and ODI formats. Ganguly was one of the best left-handed batters who played with genuine class. His off-side batting display gathered a lot of attention. The beautiful stroke-maker scored 7212 runs in his test career, out of which, 1403 came while playing against the Aussies in the BGT.
8. Murli Vijay
Murli Vijay was a former right-handed opening batter for India in the longest format. his classic batting display was one of the best in Indian cricket. The batter made his test debut against Australia in 2008 and went on to play 61 tests for India. He scored 8601 runs in his test career and 1324 against the Aussies in the BGT.
9. Ajinkya Rahane
The right-handed middle-order batter for India in the test setup, Ajinkya Rahane, is one of the best test batters currently in the nation. Rahane made his test debut against Australia in 2013 and has played 85 matches in the longest format. He has made 5077 runs in the format, out of which, 1090 came in the BGT.
10. MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni was India’s best white-ball skipper. A wicket-keeper and a middle-order batter in all three formats, Dhoni, was one of the best players in India. He made his test debut against Sri Lanka in 2005 and played 90 test matches in his career. Dhoni scored 4876 runs in his test career and 990 in the BGT.
