KL Rahul vs Sunil Gavaskar: Comparing stats in England (Tests)
What's the story
KL Rahul's sensational run in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has finally come to an end. Having managed scores of 14 and 7 in the fifth and final Test at The Oval, Rahul finished with 532 runs in 10 innings. The series saw Rahul become the second Indian after Sunil Gavaskar to complete 1,000 Test runs in England as a designated opener. Here we compare Rahul and Gavaskar's Test stats on England soil as an opener.
Series highlights
Stellar tour for Rahul
Despite low scores at The Oval, Rahul had a stellar tour. He hence finished with 532 runs from 5 matches (10 innings) at 53.20. In addition to two tons, he slammed two fifties. His scores in this series read: 42 and 137 at Headingley. 2 and 55 at Edgbaston. 100 and 39 at Lord's. 46 and 90 at Old Trafford. 14 and 17 at The Oval.
DYK
Rahul narrowly miss out on Gavaskar's record
Rahul fell short of breaking Gavaskar's long-standing record of most runs by an Asian opener in a bilateral Test series in England by just 11 runs. The latter scored 542 runs across four matches (7 innings) against England back in 1979. He averaged 77.42 in the tour, having recorded four fifties and a ton. No other Asian opener has even scored 420 runs in a bilateral Test series in England.
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Rahul joins Smith and Vaghan
It must be noted that South Africa's Graeme Smith (714 vs England, 2003) and England's Michael Vaughan (615 vs India, 2002) are the only other designated openers to tally 500-plus runs in a Test series in England in the 21st century.
Numbers
Rahul joins this list
The series saw Rahul become just the ninth visiting batter to complete 1,000 Test runs in England as a designated opener. His current tally of 1,129 runs across 13 games (26 innings) at 43.42 is now the sixth-most for a visiting opener in England. Gavaskar is fourth on this list with 1,152 runs from 15 matches (28 innings) at 41.14. No other Asian opener has scored more than 530 Test runs in England.
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Second Indian opener with this feat
As per Cricbuzz, Rahul became just the second Indian opener with 1000-plus runs in an away country. He has joined Gavaskar, who has done so in three nations - 1,404 runs in West Indies, 1,152 runs in England, and 1,001 runs in Pakistan.
Tons
Rahul has four Test tons in England
Each of Rahul's four Test tons in England has come while opening the innings. WI's Gordon Greenidge (WI), SA's Smith (5), and Australia's Mark Taylor (5) are the only visiting openers with more hundreds in the nation. Gavaskar (2) is the only other Asian opener with multiple Test hundreds in England. Overall, Rahul has seven 50+ scores on England soil in Test cricket. Among Asian openers, only Gavaskar (10) is ahead of him on this list.
Feat
Gavaskar owns a fourth-innings double hundred in England
Gavaskar's 443-ball 221 in the 1979 Oval Test continues to be the highest fourth-innings score on England soil. Interestingly, Rahul's highest score in England also came in the fourth innings - 149 at The Oval in 2018. This is the joint-sixth highest fourth-innings Test score by an opener in England. Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka (127* at The Oval, 2024) is the only other Asian opener with a fourth-innings Test hundred in England.