Most Runs By Left-Handed Batters In A Test Series For India
Yashasvi Jaiswal in action (X.com)
The rise of Indian cricket in the longest format has been phenomenal in the last few years. Not only they have been successful in dominating the opponents in India but also in countries like Australia, England and South Africa, which are considered among the toughest conditions to play red-ball cricket. The reason for India's success has been the quality of players India have managed to produce over the last decade or so.
The manufacturing hasn't stopped, as Yashasvi Jaiswal has been one diamond find for the Indian team. The young left-hander has managed to impress the whole cricket fraternity with his exceptional performances in red-ball cricket so far. As he smacked another double century in the ongoing Test series against England, we at OneCricket recognised that he has become the left-handed Indian batter with the most runs in a single series.
Let's have a look at the top 4 instances where the left-handed Indian batters scored the most runs in a Test series.
Yashasvi Jaiswal - 618 Runs vs England, 2024 (Home)*
Yashasvi Jaiswal (X.com)
Having made his Test debut in 2023, Yashasvi Jaiswal announced himself with a daddy hundred against West Indies in his very first Test innings. With the range of shots Yashasvi has, the bowlers are always on the backfoot due to his attacking strokeplay at the top. It's not like he looks to smash each and every ball, however, he has managed to play the situations quite maturely.
In just seven Test matches, the left-hander has already amassed 934 runs, which includes two double centuries and one daddy hundred. With two games still left in the Test series against England, Yashasvi has already hammered 618 runs with the help of one half-century and two double centuries.
It seems like Jaiswal has come out of the syllabus for the English team and he is making fun of their bowling playing 'Jasball' kind of cricket. With these numbers, he broke the record of Sourav Ganguly of scoring the most runs as a left-hander in a single Test series.
Sourav Ganguly - 543 Runs vs Pakistan, 2007 (Home)
Sourav Ganguly (X.com)
One of the stalwarts of Indian cricket and probably among the greatest left-handed batters in the whole cricketing world, Sourav Ganguly was one of a kind. From playing patiently to shifting gears at will, Ganguly was among the successful Indian batters in the longest format of the game.
In his 117-match long Test career, Ganguly managed to score over 7,200 runs, including 16 centuries and 32 half-centuries. Not only did he play a role as the key batter of the Indian line-up, but he was also a force to reckon with when it came to leading the team.
In the Test series against Pakistan, Sourav Ganguly hammered his maiden double hundred in the third and final match of the Test series. In the first innings, he scored 239 runs and went on to make the most out of the second innings by scoring 91. He did not stop there as he went on to pick four wickets as well, along with 543 runs in the series.
Gautam Gambhir - 463 Runs vs Australia, 2008 (Home)
Gautam Gambhir (X.com)
When it comes to the left-handed batters in the history of Indian cricket, Gautam Gambhir comes among the top-ranked players produced by India. He is also the most underrated player considering his crucial knocks in knockout games. With his amazing skill set, he managed to win games for India in all three forms of the game.
In his Test career of 58 matches, Gambhir amassed over 4,100 runs with an amazing average of over 42. With the help of nine hundreds including a double century against Australia, Gambhir was among the best players in the world.
In the home Test series against Australia, against the likes of Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson, Gambhir hammered his maiden ODI century on his home ground of Delhi and became the highest scorer of the series with 463 runs in the four-match series.
Gautam Gambhir - 445 vs New Zealand, 2009 (Away)
Gautam Gambhir (X.com)
The Indian southpaw, Gautam Gambhir showcased his class in front of the Kiwis in their den by scoring 445 runs in the Test series and marking his presence twice in the list of left-handers with the most runs in a single Test series for India.
He may not have played much Test cricket, but his will and temperament were everything that made a difference. Gambhir with his amazing performances in the series, where he smacked two centuries and one half-century, helped the Indian team clinch the Test series in New Zealand by 1-0.
 "Saksham Chugh")
