Instances of No.3/Middle Order batsmen successfully converting to Test Openers

[Coronis]

Huh, I’ll be interested to see how it works out. Hopefully he follows in Usman’s footsteps.

 

[Immenso]

Alec Stewartt

Mazakadze

 

[BazBall21]

Bob Simpson

 

[shortpitched713]

Would be a strange move for Smith, and I'll believe it when I see it.

Still, would be interesting to see.

 

[mr_mister]

Blewett had a stint opening in '99/00 after previously being a middle order bat

Successful? Well we never lost a test with Blewett as opener

 

[SteveNZ]

OK, next qualifier - how many of these are actually a) successful (averaged over 40) and b) were in their mid 30s when they converted? Dravid, although that was for one series.

 

[Immenso]

Peter Kirsten did have a crack in his mid 30s. Don't know if he was successful, don't think so.

 

[Immenso]

Kasich was quite old by time he converted.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Kasich was quite old by time he converted.

Quite the conversion going from being the former governer of Ohio to an opening bat

 

[kyear2]

Langer and Simpson are two names that were previously mentioned, but to do it at this stage of his career while he's in somewhat of a "slump", ummmm.

 

[TheJediBrah]

OK, next qualifier - how many of these are actually a) successful (averaged over 40) and b) were in their mid 30s when they converted? Dravid, although that was for one series.

How about this for a qualifier - how many averaged nearly 60 in Test cricket over 100+ Tests?

bro there's no precedence for this, your opinion is valid but you're not going to support it (or prove it wrong) by looking through history

 

[kyear2]

How about this for a qualifier - how many averaged nearly 60 in Test cricket over 100+ Tests?

bro there's no precedence for this, your opinion is valid but you're not going to support it (or prove it wrong) by looking through history

But..... At least it's us before we get demoted. Barely a test team at the best of times, so not exactly high stakes.

 

[Daemon]

Rohit sharma

I’ve actually always found it interesting why ~meh openers that are always on the verge of being dropped don’t try their hand at batting lower down the order. Different skillset yes but also easier to adapt to unless you’re absolute junk against spin.

Opening is just so much harder than batting everywhere else in Tests.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Rohit sharma

I’ve actually always found it interesting why ~meh openers that are always on the verge of being dropped don’t try their hand at batting lower down the order. Different skillset yes but also easier to adapt to unless you’re absolute junk against spin.

Opening is just so much harder than batting everywhere else in Tests.

Probably because they're usually not that good and the team has way better middle-order batsmen

How often do you have a struggling opening batsman and think "They should replace x in the middle-order to make the team better"

 

[Daemon]

Probably because they're usually not that good and the team has way better middle-order batsmen

How often do you have a struggling opening batsman and think "They should replace x in the middle-order to make the team better"

I think if they were once good it could be worth a shot. Like once Sehwag started losing it, try him out down the order idk.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I think if they were once good it could be worth a shot. Like once Sehwag started losing it, try him out down the order idk.

Yeah he's a pretty niche example though there weren't many Sehwags

Mostly we're talking about the likes Shiv Sunder Das, Sadagopan Ramesh or Aakash Chopra. You're not dropping Dravid, Sachin, Ganguly or Laxman because one of those openers might be a little better in the middle-order

Sehwag probably should have batted middle order anywhere that wasn't Asia or Australia anyway tbh

 

[Immenso]

Rohit sharma

I’ve actually always found it interesting why ~meh openers that are always on the verge of being dropped don’t try their hand at batting lower down the order. Different skillset yes but also easier to adapt to unless you’re absolute junk against spin.

Opening is just so much harder than batting everywhere else in Tests.

South Africa in the 90s moved Kepler Wessels to middle order, and in 00s moved Gary Kirsten down.

Plus AB de Villiers.

 

[Daemon]

Mostly we're talking about the likes Shiv Sunder Das, Sadagopan Ramesh or Aakash Chopra

Genuinely surprised you knew these names

 

[Daemon]

South Africa in the 90s moved Kepler Wessels to middle order, and in 00s moved Gary Kirsten down.

Plus AB de Villiers.

Laxman too

 

[TheJediBrah]

Genuinely surprised you knew these names

I lived and breathed cricket from 1999-2007 ish there's not much from that time period I don't know

before and after those dates however . . .