Batting at No. 8 in test cricket brings a lot of challenges. The lower middle order is responsible for finishing the innings on a positive note. Their major focus is to score more and more runs and give their bowlers enough runs to bowl. Batters like Ravichandran Ashwin, Mark Boucher, Jason Holder, and Kapil Dev have all batted at no. 8 in test cricket and have succeeded. The batters in this position are either wicketkeepers or bowling all-rounders. The depth of batting is what all teams require nowadays. This article will tell our readers about the top ten batters with the most runs at No. 8 in test cricket. This is an all-time list that includes the players of all test-playing nations.
1. Daniel Vettori
Daniel Vettori was a former left-arm orthodox bowler and a handy batter down the order for New Zealand. Born in Auckland in 1979, the southpaw made his test debut against England in 1997. He was also a former captain of his nation across formats. For a bowling all-rounder to score 4531 runs in test cricket is a big achievement. Out of total runs in his test career, the all-rounder scored 2227 runs while batting at No. 8, which also includes four out of his six total 100s and a decent average of 39.77. The player announced his retirement in 2014 after the longest format of the game.
2. Shane Warne
Shane Warne was a former leg spinner and a handy batter down the order for Australia. Born in Victoria in 1969, the bowler made his test debut against India in 1992. Considered the best spin bowler in the world, Warne possessed the ability to bamboozle the batter with quite ease. Over the years, he bowled some magical deliveries that the batters could not read. While batting in the No. 8 position in the longest format, Warne scored 2006 runs at an average of 18.92. The legend of the game retired from test cricket in 2007.
3. Chaminda Vaas
Chaminda Vaas was a former left-arm medium-fast bowler for Sri Lanka. Born in 1974, the bowler made his test debut against Pakistan in 1994. He was a proper swing bowler who made life difficult for batters around the world. The left-handed batter scored 3089 runs in his test career, of which 13 came while batting at No. 8. The batter also scored a century at No. 8 in the longest format and batted at a decent average of 25.17.
4. Shaun Pollock
Shaun Pollock was a former right-arm medium-fast bowler for South Africa. He was also a handy batter down the order. Born in Port Elizabeth in 1973, the bowler made his test debut against England in 1995. The bowler was known for his captaincy and wicket-taking skills. He scored 3781 runs and two 100s in his test career. While batting at no. 8, the batter scored 1796 runs at an average of 30.97. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in South Africa. The player announced his retirement in 2008 after the longest format in the game.
5. Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is a bowling all-rounder for India across formats. Born in 1986 in Chennai, the off-break bowler made his test debut against the West Indies in 2011. He has taken 489 test wickets and is just unplayable in home conditions. At no. 8, the all-rounder has scored 1793 runs out of his total of 3185 test runs. Averaging 27.17, the player has scored three 100s at no. 8 and is a regular inclusion in India’s test squad. He is widely regarded as one of the best off-spinners around the world.
6. Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev was a former right-arm medium-fast bowler and a handy batter down the order for India. Under his leadership, India won the 1983 World Cup. The world will remember him for his great innings of 175 against Zimbabwe in a must-win situation during the same World Cup. Also, the running catch he took to dismiss Vivian Richards in the final changed the game in India’s favor. While batting at No. 8, the all-rounder scored 1777 runs along with two 100s at an average of 32.45. One of the most successful Indian captains, he retired from test cricket in 1994.
7. Jason Holder
Jason Holder is a bowling all-rounder for the West Indies across formats. Born in Barbados in 1991, the tall medium-pacer made his test debut against New Zealand in 2014. He has perfect control over out-swing bowling and is a key bowler for his nation. The all-rounder has scored 2797 runs in his test career, out of which 1525 runs and two out of his three test 100s have come while batting at No. 8. He was also a former captain of the West Indies across formats.
8. Mark Boucher
Mark Boucher was a former wicketkeeper and a right-handed batter for South Africa across formats. He made his Test debut against Pakistan in 1997. He posted the highest score for a night watchman at 125 against Zimbabwe in 199. The batter scored 5515 runs in his test career, out of which 1387 came while batting at No. 8 in the longest format. He retired from test cricket in 2012.
9. Mitchell Johnson
The former left-arm fast bowler for Australia across formats, Mitchell Johnson, was born in Queensland in 1981. He made his test debut against Sri Lanka in 2007 at the Gabba. The bowler was quite a decent batter down the order and scored 2065 runs in his eight-year-long test career. The player made 1385 runs while batting at no. 8 in test cricket. He retired from the test format in 2015 and was known for his good bouncers and quick pace.
10. Malcolm Marshal
Malcolm Marshal was a former West Indian fast bowler. He made his Test debut against India in 1978. The bowler was also a lower middle-order batter and scored 1810 runs in his test career. While batting at no. 8, the player scored 1365 runs at an average of 21.00. He retired from the longest format in 1991. The content has been taken from these websites:
