cricket

Updated: Dec 24, 2018 13:07 IST

One of the main reasons behind India’s failure to win overseas Test series has been the poor performance of the openers in this year. The current pair, Murali Vijay and KL Rahul have set the worst opening record in Test history. The duo average a meagre 20.88 in 26 innings.

From two Tests in the series against Australia so far, Rahul and Vijay have aggregated 97 runs between themselves. Rahul has recorded scores of 2, 44, 2 and 0, while Vijay has notched 11, 18, 0 and 20.

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A total of five players have opened for India in 2018 and three regular openers average less than 30 this year. It’s amazing to note that Prithvi Shaw has more fifty-plus scores as opener this year than any other Indian batsmen; this despite playing just two Tests (against West Indies, before the Australia tour).

The Indian openers have recorded their worst average in any calendar year in which they have played 10 or more matches.

Furthermore, India’s openers have registered a duck seven times in 2018. This is the second most ducks by Indian openers in any calendar year. Interestingly, all 7 ducks in 2018 have come from Rahul (4) and Vijay (3).

From 24 innings so far in 2018, Indian openers have had seven fifty-plus stands. And from the rest 16 innings, their partnership has been broken at the score of 20 or below in 14 innings — the most by any team’s opening pair in 2018.