Who are India’s top three batters in Test cricket? From Sunil Gavaskar to Virender Sehwag, there have been many who have done wonders for the national team in whites, that too in their own batting styles. However, when it came to picking the top three, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had a tough choice to make. In a video that has surfaced on social media, Ashwin picked his top 5 Test batters to have played for India, then trimmed down to the top three. Surprisingly, however, Sunil Gavaskar didn’t make the cut in the top three.
Seeing Ashwin leave out Sunil Gavaskar, India’s outright No. 1 batter in red-ball cricket for many, some fans on social media weren’t happy. In a video on Cricinfo, Ashwin admitted that his choice would be hard for some people to agree with.
Gavaskar set the foundation for modern Indian batting as the first cricketer in history to cross the 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket. Over a 125-Test career, in which he operated as an opening batter, Gavaskar scored 10,122 runs at an outstanding average of 51.12. He held the world record for the most Test centuries for nearly two decades with 34 tons, 13 of which came against the fearsome West Indies attack, alongside 45 half-centuries and a personal best of 236 not out.
Yet, for Ashwin, Gavaskar couldn’t make the cut in his top 3.
Tendulkar, on the other hand, stands as the man with several records in the longest format to his name. In a career that spanned over 200 Tests, Tendulkar accumulated 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78, featuring 51 centuries and 68 fifties. He maintained an average above 53 both at home and away across 24 years of international cricket.
Dravid, meanwhile, built his career on unmatched resilience, scoring 13,288 runs at an average of 52.31 in 164 Tests. He holds the world records for most balls faced (31,258) and minutes spent at the crease (44,152), recording 36 centuries and a legendary overseas record in challenging conditions.
Kohli’s case is slightly different in comparison to others in the list. He brought a modern mindset to the Indian team while also scoring plenty of runs. He scored 9,230 runs across 123 Tests at an average of 46.85. While playing in an era dominated by sport-wide bowling dominance, he registered 30 centuries, including seven double-hundreds, the most by any Indian batter, with a peak stretch averaging over 54.
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