Top 10 Asian batsmen with highest averages outside Asia in Tests

With the advent of T20 cricket, the game of cricket has gone to another level and the mindset of the batsmen in the longest format of the game has also changed significantly. Traditionally there a lot of batsmen have been successful in home conditions but struggled overseas. In modern day cricket, a player is rated on the basis of his overseas performances and against the best of oppositions. Since most teams are too strong playing at home and doesn’t give an accurate value on assessment. The average of a batsman is the best indicator of his consistency. Not everyone can play good at all times but a good the best of the batsmen have always carried a high average. Here are the top 10 Asian batsmen who have the highest average outside Asia over the last 10 years: 10. Sourav Ganguly – 38.77: Former Indian batsman Sourav Ganguly . (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images) Sourav Ganguly played 113 Test matches and 311 One Day Internationals for India in his international career spanning from 1992-2008. He scored 7212 runs in Test cricket averaging 42.17 with 16 centuries and 35 half-tons. The Royal Bengal tiger also claimed 32 Test wickets with his medium-pacers. The highly rated former Indian skipper averages 38.77 from his 20 innings outside Asia in the last 10 years. He scored 698 runs from the 10 Test matches in the time period and is one among the four Indians in the list. The 44-year old is considered to be one of India’s most successful Test captains who played a big role in forging a winning unit from a bunch of talented, but raw individuals. Under his stewardship, India started winning Test matches overseas. Ganguly was aggressive with the bat in hand and also as the captain. Also read – Top 10 Fastest Centuries in Test Cricket 9. Thilan Samaraweera – 42.00: Sri Lankan batsman Thilan Samaraweera. (Photo by LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) Sri Lanka’s Thilan Samaraweera without much of a notice played 81 Test matches 53 ODIs and maintained a healthy average of 48.76 in Test cricket. Batting in the middle-order, he scored 14 centuries and 30 half-centuries. He averages exactly on 42 outside Asia after playing 12 Test matches over the last 10 years. He is one of the two Sri Lankan cricketers and has so far scored 840 runs from 24 innings. Samaraweera is known for his sheer resilience and determination but hasn’t got much of a recognition as he was playing alongside some of the legends of the generation namely, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. What Samaraweera does best is to wear bowlers down with his patience and solidity and was probably the unsung hero of that middle-order. 8. Mohammad Yousuf – 42.86: Mohammad Yousuf. (© Getty Images) Mohammad Yusuf was as solid as anyone for Pakistan over the years and is one of the greatest players Pakistan has ever produced. He played 90 Test matches, 288 ODIs and 3 T20Is for Pakistan and has a career average of 52.29 in Tests and 41.71 in one-day internationals. He is eight in the list with an average of 42.86 with 986 runs from his 23 innings outside Asia. He along with Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq had been a mainstay in the fragile Pakistan batting line-up and their record outside Asia speaks for them. Pakistan has forever been a good bowling unit but the batting line-up has always been a concern. Mohammad Yusuf’s game had an enchanting game play behind the wicket as he was super strong square and behind the wicket. Also read – Top 10 Batsmen with most centuries in won Tests 7. Tamim Iqbal – 42.92: Tamim Iqbal. (Photo Source: AFP) The elegant left-handed opening batsman from Bangladesh has an experience of playing 42 Test matches, 153 ODIs and 52 Twenty20 internationals. Tamim Iqbal has scored 3118 Test runs at an average of 39.46, 4713 ODI runs at 31.63 and 1154 runs in T20Is with an average of 24.55. Being the countries most successful runscorer for the national team to date, he is the only player from Bangladesh in the list with an average of 42.92 outside Asia. He has scored 986 runs from his 23 appearances in an innings outside Asia in the last 10 years. The 27-year old is regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in Bangladesh cricket and is arguably the hardest hitter of the cricket ball in the country. Tamim has over the years played his part in making Bangladesh a much better team. 6. Misbah-ul-Haq – 45.15: Misbah-ul-Haq of Pakistan celebrates scoring a century. (Photo by Mitchell Gunn/Getty Images) The captain of the Pakistan Test team, Misbah-ul-Haq is undoubtedly one of the best batsmen for Pakistan in the last decade. With a healthy career average of 48.95 in the longest version of the game and over 4500 Test runs, he has been a ‘Pillar’ of the Pakistan squad. Misbah who retired from limited overs format after the World Cup 2015 has a Test average of 45.15 outside Asia over the last 10 years and has scored over 1174 runs from his 31 innings from 16 matches. There have been numerous occasions where the 42-year has single handly taken all the responsibility of the batting line-up. Misbah took over the captaincy of the team after the 2010 spot-fixing saga and it was his demeanour and calmness that acted as the catalyst for the resurgence of Pakistan cricket from the dark times. Also check out – Top 10 Fastest Centuries in Test Cricket 5. Virat Kohli – 48.30: India’s cricketer Virat Kohli celebrates 100. (Photo by DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images) Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli who is already considered a modern day great has an average of 46.28 in his Test career so far with 3194 runs from 42 Test matches. Virat Kohli, who is often compared with the cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has an average of 48.30 in Tests outside Asia. He is one of those rare cricketers with a higher average outside the subcontinent. Kohli has already made his place in a lot of record books as he is the fastest batsman to 5000 ODI runs and the fastest batsmen to 10 ODI centuries. He was also awarded the ICC ODI Player of the Year in 2012 and the BCCI’s international cricketer of the year for the 2011–12 and 2014–15 seasons. He also won the Arjuna Award in 2013. 4. Sachin Tendulkar – 48.86: Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: AFP) The legendary batsman from India, Sachin Tendulkar scored runs all over the world against all types of bowling attacks. With 200 Test matches, 463 ODIs, and a T20I, no other cricketer has played as many matches in international cricket. With an average of 53.78 and 15921 runs in Test cricket, he is probably one of the best ever to play the game of cricket. His hunger for scoring runs and winning games for the country saw him conquer the best bowlers in their own backyard and that is what separates Sachin from the rest. He maintained an average of 48.86 outside Asia, considering his stats over the last 10 years in Test cricket. Sachin Tendulkar was a complete batsman; the most prolific run-maker of all time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon the game has ever had. There were no apparent weaknesses in Tendulkar’s game. He could score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back foot. Also check out – Top 10 Batsmen with most Test centuries 3. Ajinkya Rahane – 49.60: Ajinkya Rahane. (Photo Source: Associated Press) The current vice-captain of the Indian Test squad has been a prolific run-getter for the team in the last couple of seasons. Ajinkya Rahane has been flexible in all formats of the game averaging 44.35 in Test matches, 33.22 in ODIs and 21.41 in Twenty20 internationals. Out of the 7 Test hundreds in his career so far, 6 of them have been scored overseas and in 6 different countries which speaks volumes about his temperament. Rahane averages almost fifty (49.60) outside Asia and is one of those rare cricketers with a higher average outside Asia than his career average. Rahane announced his arrival in the international arena with twin fifties in the third Test match in Durban before making his maiden Test century against New Zealand in the drawn Test in Wellington. He had also made his mark in India’s first win in Lord’s after 28 years, setting the game up with a solid 103 in the first innings. 2. Younis Khan – 52.32: Younis Khan of Pakistan. (Photo by Mitchell Gunn/Getty Images) Younis Khan is one of Pakistan’s modern day batting greats. The unorthodox batsman averages over 53 (53.19) in Test matches, 31.24 in ODIs and 22.10 in T20Is. He has been highly successful in Test cricket with 31 centuries and 30 half-centuries and has the most centuries among currently active Test cricketers. Who are the other batsmen in the list? – Top 10 Current batsmen with most Test centuries Younis is second among Asian batsmen with highest averages outside Asia. He averages 52.32 from 15 Test matches (27 innings). He has scored 1141 runs from those 27 innings. Despite having an unorthodox technique, he has been a highly successful batsman for the men in green. He is the highest run scorer for Pakistan in Test cricket and the only Pakistani player to score over 9,000 Test runs. The triple hundred in Tests and a famous double-hundred against India in India is some of the highs of his career which prove his quality and class. 1. Kumar Sangakkara – 54.35: Kumar Sangakkara. (© Getty Images) The former Sri Lankan skipper, Kumar Sangakkara with 12400 Test runs and an average of 57.40, 14234 runs in ODIs at an average of 41.98 and with 1382 runs in the shortest format of the game at an average of 31.40 is one of the greats to have graced the sport. His consistency of scoring runs against the toughest bowling oppositions made him special. Sanga has the highest average among subcontinent batsmen outside Asia over the last 10 years. He holds an average of 54.35 outside Asia from 34 innings and scored 1685 runs. Sangakkara won the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year and the People’s Choice award for the second year running in 2012. He was at his best when he took over the captaincy and led his side to a lot of famous wins. He equaled the fastest to 10,000 Test runs record held by Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara in 2012. Also read – Top 10 Batsmen with most Test centuries in a calendar year

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Top 10 Asian batsmen with highest averages outside Asia in Tests

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