Usman Khawaja vs Rohit Sharma - who is the best opener in Test cricket at present?

Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Australian batter Usman Khawaja are among two of the top openers in Test cricket at present. The duo has played some fine knocks in recent times, which have resulted in memorable wins for their respective sides.

Interestingly, neither Rohit nor Khawaja began their Test careers as openers. Rohit moved up to the opening position since there was no place available in the middle order, just like Virender Sehwag.

On the other hand, Khawaja has batted at the No. 3 position in 38 of his 63 Tests. However, he has now established himself as a permanent opener in Australia’s Test XI.

Both Rohit and Khawaja have won plenty of praise for their performances with the bat in red-ball cricket in recent times. However, in this feature, we analyze who among them is the better opener in Test cricket at present.

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Usman Khawaja and Rohit Sharma’s Test record over the last two years

The Australian opener has been in terrific form since making a comeback. (Pic: Getty Images)

If we look at Khawaja’s numbers starting July 2021, he has played 18 Test matches as an opener, hammering over 1683 runs at an average of 60.10, with five hundreds to his name.

Incredibly, during this fruitful period, he is averaging 44.88 from seven Tests at home and 74.47 from 11 away Tests. In fact, four of his five tons during this phase have come away from home.

The left-handed batter was one of the star performers for Australia during their historic tour of Pakistan in 2022. In the three-match Test series, he scored 496 runs at an average of 165.33, with two hundreds.

Khawaja is currently taking on England in the ongoing Ashes and has demonstrated great form. He scored a hundred and a fifty in the opening Test and Edgbaston and followed it up with a defiant 77 in the second innings of the Lord’s Test as well.

During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India earlier this year, the southpaw notched up 333 at an average of 47.57, with one hundred and a big one at that -180 in the fourth and final Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Further, Khawaja also shone in Sri Lanka during the said period, scoring 137 runs in two Tests at an average of 45.66. Basically, the Australian opener has scored heavily almost everywhere he has played since making a successful comeback to the Test side.

His record in sub-continent conditions is proof of his versatility as a batter, something his senior partner David Warner has failed to achieve.

Rohit Sharma has had a mixed time with the bat. (Pic: Getty Images)

Now, shifting focus to Indian captain Rohit, he has played 11 Tests as an opener since July 2021. Unfortunately, the 36-year-old has missed out on a few matches in his period to fitness and illness issues.

Looking at his Test record over the last two years, Rohit has notched up 758 runs at an average of 42.11, with two hundreds. During this period, he has scored 332 runs in six Tests at home, averaging 36.88.

As for his away record, he has notched up 368 runs at an average of 52.57. Rohit also featured in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final against Australia at The Oval [neutral venue], scoring 15 and 43 runs in the two innings.

Unlike Khawaja, the Indian captain only has two Test hundreds to show for his efforts. He won over a lot of critics, who had raised questions over his opening ability away from home, with a resilient 127 against England at The Oval in September 2021.

Rohit’s only other Test hundred in recent times came at home when he scored 120 in the Nagpur Test against Australia earlier this year, helping India take a significant 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

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Only one winner in this contest

The numbers clearly state that Australia’s Khawaja has been far more consistent as an opener in Test cricket both at home and away in the last couple of seasons. His performances have translated into some famous wins for Australia.

As for Indian skipper Rohit, he has definitely shown glimpses of his wonderful ability and has also won matches for his team. However, when it comes to maintaining a certain standard of performance by which good batters are gauged, Rohit has fallen short of the desired level.