Top 5 current Asian batsmen with most Test runs in SENA countries
Test cricket is regarded as one of the toughest formats as it assesses a player’s character, temperament, patience and mental grit. Scoring runs in this format also takes some beating with the red ball doing a lot of talking. The challenge gets even harder when a batter goes abroad. Facing local bowlers in unfamiliar conditions is indeed a hefty task.
Hence, you won’t see the majority of the batters thriving in overseas tests. As far as Asian batters are concerned, their biggest task is scoring runs in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries. The Asian players play the majority of their cricket on spin-friendly tracks. However, tracks in SENA countries favour fast bowlers.
While New Zealand and England are known to offer swing-friendly tracks, South Africa and Australia have bouncy decks. Hence, Asian batters are required to assess conditions in a limited amount of time. Nevertheless, there have been some batters who overcame these challenges and scored runs in SENA nations.
Here we look at Top 5 current Asian Test cricketers with the most runs in SENA countries
Angelo Mathews
Although the Sri Lankan all-rounder hasn’t played Test cricket since 2018, he makes this elite list. His ability to play horizontal shots helped him taste in overseas Tests. Notably, the star cricketer has even led Sri Lanka to a Test series win in England. Overall, he has slammed 1427 runs in 20 Tests.
Azhar Ali
Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali holds fourth place on this list. The right-handed batsman has been a cornerstone of the Test team for a while and it would be interesting to see how far he goes. As far as Ali’s record in SENA Test is concerned, he has 1902 runs in 32 Tests. Notably, Ali has scored a double century in Melbourne.
Ajinkya Rahane
In Ajinkya Rahane, we welcome another Indian to this list. The Indian vice-captain has a knack for scoring runs in difficult situations which makes him an even greater asset. Who can forget his match-winning hundreds in Lord’s and Melbourne? Overall, he has 2028 runs in 31 Test matches which also includes four centuries.
Cheteshwar Pujara
Kohli’s teammate Cheteshwar Pujara follows him on this list. Hailed as India’s modern-day wall, Pujara has tormented many potent bowlers with his rock-solid defence. Except for New Zealand, the star batsman has hundreds in the other three nations. Overall, he has scored 2091 runs in 33 SENA Tests at an average of 33.72.
Virat Kohli
The Indian skipper has made a habit of topping charts. Hasn’t he? Kohli has played at least two Test two series in all the fourth countries and piled a mountain of runs. So far, the talismanic cricketer has played 34 Test matches in SENA nations, mustering 2946 runs at an average of 45.32. He also has 11 centuries under his belt.
