Opening in cricket, especially Tests, is never easy. The sight of fresh pace bowlers and a pitch that seems a mystery especially if it is the first day collectively triggers a tense state. Yet opening batters stride out quickly, sneak in a glance at the sky and do a close observation of the playing surface.
Openers are the cue cards that middle-order batters read before they emerge. Meanwhile, openers being the first one to face the firing squad are vulnerable and the 50-plus average that some middle order giants pocket remains elusive even if legends like Sunil Gavaskar prove to be an exception. Reliable openers often end up in the 40s or the 30s as far as averages go.
