In Test cricket, there are very few left-handed batsmen to have scored 8000 runs. These left-handed batsmen had a few things in common: they played the game with a fearless mentality, they were reliable, and they could dominate the bowling attacks with their aggressiveness.
While they have come across their milestones, to date, no Indian left-hander from the group of exclusive left-handed batsmen who completed this milestone first.
Fastest left-handers to tally 8000 Test Runs
1. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 152 Innings
Kumar Sangakkara, the fabulous Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batsman, was the fastest left-hander to reach 8,000 Test runs in 152 innings. Sangakkara, during his glorious career, took a total of 12,400 runs, including 38 centuries and 52 fifties, at an unreal average of 54.15. His technique and consistency confirm him as one of the greatest batsmen in his time.
2. Brian Lara (West Indies) – 164 Innings
The great West Indian batsman Brian Lara, known to all as ‘The Prince of Port of Spain’, achieved the feat of 8,000 runs in just 164 innings. Lara’s whole career in Test cricket was one for the books, finishing with 11,953 runs, 34 centuries and 48 half-centuries, averaging 52.88. Lara’s 400* not only remains the highest individual innings of all time in Test cricket but remains historic in its own right.
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3. Matthew Hayden (Australia) – 164 Innings
Australian opener Matthew Hayden became the most recent of the fastest left-handed batsmen to pass 8,000 Test runs in 164 innings, as did Lara. Hayden still has the attacking game to reach 8,625 runs with 30 hundreds and 29 fifties whilst boasting an incredible average of 60.10. His incredible opening performances were a key player in Australia’s wins in the first decade of the 2000s.
4. Graeme Smith (South Africa) – 173 Innings
Graeme Smith, a.k.a. Biff, scored his 8,000th run in 173 innings; the slowest of the left-handers to achieve this milestone, but it was nevertheless a remarkable record. Smith scored a total of 9,265 runs with 27 hundreds and 38 fifties at an average of 48.25. His captaincy and his resolve in pressure situations made him one of the most revered and greatest left-handers to play Test cricket.
Why is there no left-handed Indian in the List?
Despite the glorious history of Indian cricket, especially with players like Sourav Ganguly, who was famous for his classy left-handed batting, no Indian left-hander has made it to the list of the fastest players to have scored 8,000 Test runs.
This may have been the result of the Indian batsmen being more often seen as technically skilled players, taking many innings to “settle down” and play big scores. Regardless, what these great left-handers have achieved points to the amazing ability and skill that is necessary to do well in the longest format of the game.
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