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Australia's Opening Batsman

Archer6K

U19 12th Man
Where does Usman Khawaja rank in terms of the greatest Australian opening batsman and what would be your top ten?
 

Coronis

International Coach
Don't rate Khawaja that highly tbh. Definitely not top ten.
Idk about that.

Of the Aussie openers who have scored more runs than him (opening) only Hayden (8625 @ 50.73), Simpson (3665 @ 55.51), Katich (2928 @ 50.48) average more than 50. Khawaja atm has 2363 @ 60.58.

Katich also had a late career renaissance as an opener similar to Khawaja - both after a 3 year gap between tests. Right around the same age too.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Idk about that.

Of the Aussie openers who have scored more runs than him only Hayden (8625 @ 50.73), Simpson (3665 @ 55.51), Katich (2928 @ 50.48) average more than 50. Khawaja atm has 2363 @ 60.58.

Katich also had a late career renaissance as an opener similar to Khawaja - both after a 3 year gap between tests. Right around the same age too.
Katich and Khawaja are quite comparable, yeah.

I reckon I'd probably have neither in the top ten though.
 

Coronis

International Coach
Katich and Khawaja are quite comparable, yeah.

I reckon I'd probably have neither in the top ten though.
If we’re looking at their overall careers I 100% agree but if we’re purely looking at their careers as openers I’m not so sure.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
If we’re looking at their overall careers I 100% agree but if we’re purely looking at their careers as openers I’m not so sure.
This is where valuing longevity becomes quite useful. I consider their careers as openers to be even worse than their overall careers.
 

Coronis

International Coach
This is where valuing longevity becomes quite useful. I consider their careers as openers to be even worse than their overall careers.
Oh I’d still prefer he do it for a few more years and I don’t think Katich is quite in my top 10, but iirc we haven’t had an opener with such a good peak ever - aside from maybe Hayden? But we know he was a home track bully and played in a relatively easier era for batting. I’d say Khawaja is in the lower end of my top 10 but his stock continues to rapidly rise.
 

Line and Length

Cricketer Of The Year
Openers who faced the might of the W.I. at their peak are often overlooked. Rick McCosker and Bruce Laird were, IMO, better than their raw stats suggest.
 

TheJediBrah

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Usman's last couple years have been incredible and it seems to have erased the memories of a lot of people of how mediocre he was for the other 80% of his career. Though he wasn't playing as opener he was decidedly ordinary even on some pretty flat home pitches.

Then if we limit to career as opener only it's still a pretty small sample compared to the likes of Hayden who did it for longer
 

capt_Luffy

Cricketer Of The Year
Top 10 would be like:
1. Victor Trumper
2. Mathew Hayden
3. Arthur Morris
4. Bill Ponsford
5. David Warner
6. Justin Langer
7. Mark Taylor
8. Sid Barnes
9. Bob Simpson
10.Bill Lawry
After them; there are Bill Woodful, Michael Slater, Archie Jackson and Simon Katich. Then I think it would be Usman Khwaja; followed by the likes of Geoff Marsh, Colin McDonald, Chris Rogers, Bill Brown and Ian Redpath. If you count David Boon as an opener; then he would be at no. 7.
 
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