IND vs ENG: From KL Rahul to Gautam Gambhir, reviewing India Test openers in England in 21st century | Cricket News

India tour of England 2025: India will embark on a new Test era when Shubman Gill’s men take on Ben Stokes’ England in the first Test of the five-match series, starting Friday in Headingley.
The English conditions have not necessarily favoured Indian batters over the years, with England regering four successive series wins in 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2021-22. India have often struggled with a lack of consent opening batters in England. Five Indian openers have played at least 10 Test innings in England in the 21st century, with only two averaging above 30.
13 openers since 2001
Since the start of the 21st century, India have played 13 openers, the second-most among all teams, across 26 Tests in England, collectively averaging 31.88. Current India head coach Gautam Gambhir holds the worst record of all Indian openers in England, averaging 13.14 across four Tests in 2011 and 2014.
KL Rahul leads the pack
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Despite the series defeat in 2018 and a 2-2 finish during the 2021-22 tour, India marked a positive change with their openers outperforming England in their own backyard. While the Indian openers averaging 32.12 in the two series since 2018 in England, the hosts’ openers only tallied runs with a 27.16 average.
Leading this charge is KL Rahul, who has scored 597 runs in 16 innings as an opener in 2018 and 2021. Rahul is also the only visiting Test opener to record multiple centuries in the country in this period.
Rahul had forged a strong opening partnership with former India captain Rohit Sharma during the 2021 tour. Rohit remains as the only visiting opener to hold a 50-plus average in England (52.57) in the ICC World Test Championship, for a min. of five innings.
 KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma’s first-wicket partnership aggregate (421) in the 2021-22 tour remains the best among all Indian opening pairs in a series in England this century. 
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Despite only coming in as a stop-gap opening option during his final tour to England in 2011, Rahul Dravid holds the highest Test average (79.50) among all Indian openers in England this century, having recorded 318 runs in five innings, including two centuries.

India Test openers in England in the 21st century

Player
Span
Mat
Inns
Runs
HS
Ave
100
50

KL Rahul
2018-2021
8
16
597
149
37.31
2
1

Murali Vijay
2014-2018
7
14
428
146
30.57
1
2

Rohit Sharma
2021-2021
4
8
368
127
52.57
1
2

Rahul Dravid
2011-2011
3
5
318
146*
79.5
2
0

Shikhar Dhawan
2014-2018
7
14
284
44
20.28
0
0

Virender Sehwag
2002-2011
6
10
278
106
27.8
1
1

Dinesh Karthik
2007-2007
3
6
263
91
43.83
0
3

Wasim Jaffer
2002-2007
5
10
244
62
24.4
0
3

Gautam Gambhir
2011-2014
4
7
92
38
13.14
0
0

Sanjay Bangar
2002-2002
2
2
89
68
44.5
0
1

Cheteshwar Pujara
2022-2022
1
2
79
66
39.5
0
1

Abhinav Mukund
2011-2011
2
4
64
49
16
0
0

Shubman Gill
2022-2022
1
2
21
17
10.5
0
0