Despite being a Test series, some players have scored runs at a blistering pace
First played in 1996, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) has become one of the most intense test series in the world, probably ranked right below the Ashes. Played between India and Australia, the trophy was etched to celebrate the legacy of Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar, two legendary batsmen who were the first to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket history.
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Given we are a week away from the next Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with the first game scheduled to be played on November 22, we take a look at leading run scorers in the lowest number of Border-Gavaskar Trophy matches.
One of the most formidable openers against India, the tall, left-hand opener often troubled the Indian bowling line-up. He only played 18 BGT matches against India but retired with six centuries and eight fifties. Not to forget, in those 18 matches, he scored 1,888 runs at an average of 65. Hayden remains the ninth-highest run-getter in the history of the Test series.
One of the biggest adversaries of the Indian bowling line-up, Steve Smith, with his unorthodox batting style, has accumulated tonnes of runs against India in merely 19 games. His run tally ahead of the BGT 2024/25 stands at 2,042 runs at an average of 45.07, which includes nine centuries and five fifties. In the all-time highest run-getting list of the BGT, Steve Smith is presently in seventh place.
Clark's career had several glorious moments, but when it comes to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, his 329 not-out against India will forever be cherished by fans from both countries. In fact, to date, he is the only batter to have scored a triple century in the history of the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Moving on to his overall run statistics, he played 22 matches against India, scoring 2,049 runs at an average of 53.92 with seven centuries and six 50s to his name. He remains the sixth-highest run-getting in the history of the Test series.
Given his average and runs are higher than Sehwag's, despite both players playing 22 matches, Clark sits in a higher position.
Be it one day or a Test, Virender Sehwag was always known for his aggressive batting. Even when there were no T20Is, he played his games as they were T20I matches. Therefore, it is not a surprise that he scored 1,738 runs against the Aussies in 22 games with an average of 41.38. He also scored three centuries and nine fifties. He is the tenth-highest run-getter in BGT's history.
Virat Kohli has an extraordinary hunger for scoring runs against the Aussies, and despite his slump in presence, he is expected to gain his form, as he has done several times against the Baggy Greens. Remember the 2014/2015 BGT when he scored four centuries, including two in the Adelaide game? Well, he was just scoring runs for fun. So far, he has scored 2,042 runs in 25 BGT games at an average of 47.48, including eight centuries and five 50s.
