Cricket is one of the unforgiving sports for a batter as they get only one chance per inning, unlike the bowlers. A batter can be out on the first ball and that is it for the innings. Hence, there is no heartbreaking moment for a batter more than getting out for a duck and that is why their primary objective is to get off the mark in an innings. While skill and technique play a key role in a batter surviving the opposition bowlers and conditions, they also need luck, especially for an opener as any ball can have their name written on it.
Sometimes, when the stars are not aligned in favor on a given day, a Test opener may not trouble the scorers and as an international cricketer, they need to keep these occurrences as minimal as possible. Here are the Test openers with the most ducks.
Most Ducks as Openers in Test Cricket
| Player | Innings | Ducks as Opener |
|---|---|---|
| Kraigg Brathwaite (WI) | 180 | 18 |
| Mike Atherton (ENG) | 197 | 17 |
| Marvan Atapattu (SL) | 136 | 16 |
| Virender Sehwag (IND) | 170 | 15 |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 173 | 14 |
| Matthew Hayden (AUS) | 184 | 14 |
| Pankaj Roy (IND) | 74 | 14 |
| Andrew Strauss (ENG) | 171 | 14 |
| Gary Kirsten (SA) | 149 | 13 |
| David Warner (AUS) | 202 | 13 |
Key Stats
526 – There have been 1010 Test openers in Test history. Out of those, 526 batters have got out for a duck at least once in their Test career as an opener.
18 – The West Indies Test captain holds the dubious record of getting on ducks most often as a Test opener. He roughly grabs a duck in every 10 innings and is still active in the circuit for the Windies.
