Overseas Specialists: 10 batsmen who performed better overseas in Test cricket

Test cricket is the most difficult non-combat sport in the world, and a big reason for that is the time and perseverance required to prevail. It is a sport that is played over a period of five days, and at times, there is not even a result to show for it.

In the fast-paced world of the 21st century, Test cricket sticks out, and it just adds to its wonderful charm. The most enticing bit about Test cricket is the variety in the playing field. There are only a handful of countries that play the sport, but the conditions are vastly different in every single one of them,

There is exaggerated seam movement in South Africa whereas conquering the bounce in Australia is a conundrum only a select few have been able to solve. Batting first in England is the toughest job in the sport, and if you are not batting first in India, you may as well forfeit the match there only.

Batsmen are the mollycoddled lot in modern day cricket and are often judged quite harshly for it. There are a bucket load of reasons used to disparage modern day batsmen, while some of those reasons are fair, a lot of them are fairly ridiculous.

Performing well in home conditions may earn a batsman some brownie points, but his legacy will be shaped by how well he does in difficult conditions, which are mostly away from home. It is a little harsh, but it is how things roll these days.

The Big Four of Kohli, Root, Williamson, and Root perform significantly better in their backyard.

Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting are two of the greatest batsmen to have ever played the sport. Both of them perform significantly better when playing in their home conditions. It is not a slight on them, but a mere acknowledgment that performing better in overseas conditions is a humongous task. The revered Big Four of Kohli, Williamson, Root, and Smith, all perform better in their own backyard.

It can, therefore, be said as a rule of thumb that batsmen perform better when playing in their home conditions. But, if there are rules, there exist certain exceptions to it as well.

Take a look at 10 batsmen who perform significantly better when playing away from home. Some of these batsmen stink up at home whereas the others are magnificent when at home, or away from it. Surprisingly enough, two of these batsmen are currently active, and two have recently called it quits (Minimum Qualification: 3000 Test runs).

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(10) Ab de Villiers (South Africa)

Ab de Villiers scored both his double hundreds in Overseas conditions.

Home- Matches: 66, Runs: 4788, Average: 47.41, Highest: 163, 100/50: 13/28.

Away- Matches: 48, Runs: 3977, Average: 55.24, Highest: 278*, 100/50: 9/18.

Average Difference: 7.83.

Ab de Villiers has become one of the most polarizing cricketers in recent times thanks to his non-committal to Test match cricket, and subsequent retirement. De Villiers was one of the youngest batsmen to score 6000 Test runs, that he finished with less than 10000 Test runs speaks volumes about how the latter part of his career unfolded.

It is easy to describe De Villiers as just an ODI great and dismiss his Test career, but what saves the day for ABD in Test cricket is his performance away from home.

De Villiers played 66 Test matches in South Africa, scoring 4788 runs at an average of 47.41. Those are impressive numbers considering the conditions in South Africa, and that De Villiers opened during the early part of his career.

Away from home, ABD scored 3977 runs at a fantastic average of 55.24. De Villiers was at his best in West Indies and UAE where he averaged 87.78 and 116.20. 5 of De Villiers' 9 overseas came in these countries including his highest score of 278*.

De Villiers was brilliant in England as well, scoring 545 runs at an average of 54.5. He scored his first double hundred in India and ended with 630 runs at an average of 45 in the country. His performance in the 2015 series against India remains one of the greatest of the 21st century.

He did exceptionally well in Australia as well where he scored 671 runs at an average of 44.73. His hundreds at Perth in 2008 and 2012 were instrumental in shaping the series for South Africa. De Villiers averaged in excess of 40 in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand as well, but failed to score a hundred 100 there. He scored 687 runs at an average of 43 in the three countries with 6 half-centuries.

(9) Steve Waugh (Australia)

Stephen Waugh laid the foundation for Australia's world domination.

Home- Matches: 89, Runs: 5710, Average: 47.58, Highest: 170, 100/50: 15/30.

Away- Matches: 79, Runs: 5217, Average: 55.50, Highest: 200, 100/50: 17/20.

Average Difference: 7.92.

No batsmen shaped his country's fortunes in the same way as Stephen Rodgers Waugh did for Australia. Waugh was instrumental in bringing down the Windies and paved the way for the decade-long domination of Australia.

Waugh finished his career as the second highest leading run-scorer in Test history. He scored 80 in his final Test innings to save Australia from a series defeat against India. It was a perfect summation of Steve Waugh, the batsman, and the cricketer.

Waugh played 88 Tests at home in his career and scored 5710 runs at an average of 47.58. His highest score of 170 came against Sri Lanka in 1996. Waugh played at a time when Australian wickets were not the batting paradise of today and batted at No.6 which makes his contribution all the more fantastic.

Waugh was at his best playing Away from home, scoring 5217 runs at an average of 55.50. 10 of Waugh's 15 highest scores came when playing in overseas conditions.

Waugh's biggest rivals during his playing days were Australia and England, and he thrived in their backyard. Waugh played 14 Tests in West Indies, scoring 1096 runs at an average of 68. Waugh scored 4 hundreds in the Caribbean, including his highest score of 200. The likes of Ambrose, Walsh, and Bishop were no match to Waugh's resilience.

He was even more spectacular in England, scoring 1633 runs at an average of 74 in 22 Tests. It included 7 hundreds, two of them in the same match at Lord's in 1997.

Waugh was equally good in India and South Africa, averaging 47 and 50 in the respective countries. He also struck a hundred in his solitary match in the UAE and Zimbabwe. He also made a 150+ score in Pakistan and New Zealand where he averaged 41 and 35 respectively.

(8) Allan Border (Australia)

Allan Border was the first batsman to score 11000 Test runs.

Home- Matches: 86, Runs: 5743, Average: 45.94, Highest: 205, 100/50: 13/35.

Away- Matches: 70, Runs: 5431, Average: 56.57, Highest: 200*, 100/50: 14/28.

Average Difference: 10.63.

Allan Border played at a time when there was a dearth of quality batsmen in Australia. He was unperturbed by the happenings around him and carried the team on his shoulders admirably for well over a decade.

Border was the first batsman to score 11000 Test runs and finished his career as the leading run scorer in Test history. It is made more impressive by the fact that he played most of his matches consecutively(153 to be exact), and performed significantly better in overseas conditions.

Border also captained Australia in 93 tests, and scored 6623 runs in them, Only Graeme Smith has done better than Border in both those areas.

Border played 86 Tests in Australia, he scored 5743 runs in those tests at an average of 45.94. Away from home, Border was a different beast. Sri Lanka and South Africa are the only countries where Border does not average in excess of 50. He played a grand total of 7 Tests combined in the two countries.

Border scored 2082 runs in England at a ridiculous average of 65. Border toured England on 5 occasions, and scored more than 400 runs in 4 of them, and never averaged less than 50 in any tour.

West Indies was the alpha team during Border's team, and he stood up against them defiantly. Border played 10 Tests in the Caribbean and scored 796 runs at an average of 54. Unlike many overseas batsmen, Border had a spectacular record in India and Pakistan.

The left-hander scored 766 runs at an average of 51 in India including 2 hundreds. He was even better in Pakistan, scoring 743 runs at an average of 62 with 3 hundreds to his name. Border vs Hadlee was a battle for the ages, Border seems to have the edge over here as he scored 602 runs in New Zealand at an average of 50 with Hadlee dismissing him only once.

(7) Stephen Fleming (New Zealand)

Stephen Fleming struggled to cope with the bowler-friendly conditions in New Zealand.

Home- Matches: 54, Runs: 2947, Average: 33.87, Highest: 192, 100/50: 2/21.

Away- Matches: 57, Runs: 4225, Average: 45.92, Highest: 274*, 100/50: 7/25.

Average Difference: 12.05.

Stephen Fleming is one of New Zealand's finest ever batsman. The Southpaw is the leading run scorer of his country with over 7000 runs to his name. Fleming's numbers may not be very flashy, but it is worth remembering that Fleming played in an era with some incredible bowlers, had virtually no support from the other and was riddled with the burden of captaincy from a very young age.

The one thing that went against Fleming was his inability to convert, Fleming managed to score only 9 hundreds in a career that lasted over a 100 Test matches underlining the rot.

Fleming, unlike other batsmen did not have batsmen-friendly conditions at home. New Zealand has been the toughest place to bat, and Fleming suffered greatly because of the same.

He played 54 tests at home, only managed to score 2 hundreds and a meager average of 33. Away from home, Fleming was in his element. Only in Australia does Fleming average less than his home average of 33. He scored 439 runs at an average of 29 playing Down Under. The perks of playing against the Greatest time in their own backyard.

Fleming enjoyed most success playing in Sri Lanka. He scored 733 runs at an average of 104. His mastery of Muralitharan was better than anyone else, even the great Brian Lara. Fleming is one of the few modern-day batsmen to have found success in South Africa, he scored 927 runs at an average of 46 in the Rainbow nation which included a gigantic 262 at Newlands.

Fleming averaged above 40 in Pakistan, West Indies, and Bangladesh, and in the higher 30s in India, England, and Zimbabwe. Overall, Fleming scored 4225 runs at an average of 46 in overseas conditions, a difference of +12 from his home average. Fleming was capable of scoring runs in all conditions, only if his home pitches were a bit kinder to him.

(6) Graeme Smith (South Africa)

South Africa never lost a test match when Graeme Smith scored a century.

Home- Matches: 61, Runs: 3986, Average: 41.52, Highest: 200, 100/50: 10/19.

Away- Matches: 56, Runs: 5279, Average: 55, Highest: 277, 100/50: 17/19.

Average Difference: 13.48.

Graeme Smith is one of the greatest opening batsmen of all time. The Southpaw made his Test debut at the age of 21 and was soon thrown into the deep end. He was made the captain of the team at a young age of 23, and Smith reveled in it.

Batting in South African conditions is a tough job, and the opening batsmen always cop the short end of the stick. Smith played 61 Tests in South Africa and scored 3986 runs at an average of 41. These numbers may not seem that impressive but considering the conditions in South Africa, they are phenomenal. But Smith's legacy will be how he made South Africa the best traveling team in the world and as an opening batsman, he was at the heart and center of it.

Smith announced himself with aplomb scoring back to back double hundreds in England in 2004. His love affair with English conditions continued in the future as well. He scored 1355 runs in England at an average of 67 with 5 hundreds.

Smith led his team to England on 3 occasions, and all 3 tours ended with the resignation of England captains. Smith also found great success in West Indies and UAE averaging 73 and 70 in the two countries.

Smith was the first South African captain to win a series in Australia. He won back to back series there in 2008 and 2012. He scored 748 runs at an average of 39 Down Under with 2 hundreds and 3 half-centuries. Smith averaged above 50 in New Zealand and Bangladesh, and in the high 40s in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

It is worth noting that out of Smith's 5 double hundreds, 4 have come away from home (2 in England, 1 in Bangladesh and 1 in UAE). Smith ended his career with 5279 runs away from home at a stupendous average of 55, including 17 hundreds and 19 half-centuries.

(5) Wally Hammond (England)

Wally Hammond scored 3 double hundreds in Australia

Home- Matches: 44, Runs: 3004, Average: 50.07, Highest: 240, 100/50: 9/10.

Away- Matches: 41, Runs: 4245, Average: 66.33, Highest: 336*, 100/50: 13/14.

Average Difference: 16.26.

Wally Hammond has a very strong claim to be England's greatest ever batsman. He has the highest average for any batsman with more than 7000 Test runs and holds the record for the most double hundreds by an England batsman with 7.

The No.3 position is considered to be the most important in Test cricket and Hammond was a master at that. He scored 3440 runs at an average of 75 batting at No.3. Another important aspect of Hammond's batting was how utterly brilliant he was when playing overseas. This is not to suggest that Hammond was not good when playing at home, he scored 3004 runs at an average of 50 when playing in the swinging England conditions with 9 centuries and 10 half-centuries.

Hammond did not play any cricket in Asian conditions but was an unstoppable force in the Trans Tasman. Hammond played only 3 Tests in New Zealand but scored 642 runs in them, It included a 227 at Christchurch and a world record 336* in Auckland.

The scenario was not much different in Australia. In his first series Down Under in 1929, Hammond scored 905 runs at an average of 113. It included Double Centuries at Melbourne and Sydney and twin centuries at Adelaide. Overall, Hammond played 19 Tests in Australia and scored 1981 runs at an average of 62 with 7 hundreds to his name.

Hammond made his Test debut in South Africa and throughout his career, he scored very prolifically against them. Hammond scored 2188 runs at an average of 62 against South Africa and had identical numbers when playing in the Rainbow nation. Hammond scored 1447 runs at an average of 63 in South Africa, including 4 hundreds and 9 half-centuries.

Hammond scored 4245 runs at an average of 66 in overseas conditions, and scored 5 of his 7 double centuries away from home, placing him in the top-tier of Test batsman.

(4) Ajinkya Rahane (India)

Ajinkya Rahane is India's leading overseas batsman of the current era

Home- Matches: 20, Runs: 1019, Average: 32.87, Highest: 188, 100/50: 3/3.

Away- Matches: 28, Runs: 2032, Average: 48.38, Highest: 147, 100/50: 6/10.

Average Difference: 15.51

Ajinkya Rahane has the potential to be one of India's greatest ever batsman. He has a compact defensive technique and is able to counter-attack at will. The only thing holding Rahane back is his inability to do well in home conditions. He is only 30 and is likely to overcome this problem.

That Rahane has managed to survive so long despite his shoddy record at home speaks volume about how well he does away from it. In an era where pitches are getting more extreme, Rahane has built a career exclusively on his overseas exploits.

Rahane is also one of the best tacticians going around in world cricket, he has captained India in 2 tests winning both of them, including the all-important series decider against Australia at Dharamshala in 2017

Rahane has played 20 Tests at home and scored 1019 runs at a paltry average of 32.87. Two of those hundreds came in the same test against South Africa at Delhi. In the 8 series that Rahane has played at home, he has averaged above 40 on only 3 occasions. On the other hand, Rahane has thrived in conditions where the ball comes to his bat.

New Zealand and Australia are places where careers of Indian batsmen finish. Rahane averages 54 and 57 in the two countries respectively. His 147 at the MCG is one of the best knocks played by an overseas batsman in Australian conditions.

Rahane has done well in South Africa as well, he has scored 266 runs at an average of 53 against the likes of Morkel, Philander, Steyn, and Rabada. Rahane averages an astronomical 143 in West Indies and a respectable 45 in Sri Lanka. He scored a 98 in his only innings in Bangladesh.

The only place Rahane has struggled overseas in England where he averages a mere 30. But Rahane was instrumental in shaping both of India's recent test victories in England: Lord's (2014) and Trent Bridge (2018).

His 103 at Lord's is one of the best knocks by an Indian batsman in overseas conditions. Overall, Rahane has scored 2032 runs at an average of 48 in overseas conditions, his average is the highest among active Indian batsmen.

(3) Ken Barrington (England)

Ken Barrington averaged 69 overseas: Second only to Bradman.

Home- Matches: 46, Runs: 3347, Average: 50.71, Highest: 256, 100/50: 6/21.

Away- Matches: 36, Runs: 3459, Average: 69.18, Highest: 172, 100/50: 14/14.

Average Difference: 18.47.

Ken Barrington rarely gets a look in when we talk about the greatest Test batsman of all time, but Barrington is right up there with the very best. In fact, Barrington has the greatest resume of any batsman since Sir Donald Bradman. Barrington was a flamboyant stroke-maker in the early part of his career but shed his attacking instincts to become one of the greatest's stonewallers.

Barrington was one of the greatest No,4 in Test history, scoring 2367 runs at an average of 59. His highest score of 256 also came from this position. He was even better at No.3, scoring 2626 runs at a ridiculous average of 77.

Barrington played 46 tests in England where he scored 3347 runs at an average of 50.71. He was even better away from home, scoring 3459 runs at an average of 69. Barrington scored 500+ runs in a series 4 times, 3 of those were away from home.

14 of Barrington's 20 hundreds also came away from home. England batsmen do not well in Asia, but Barrington was different. He scored 674 runs at an average of 96 in India which included 3 hundreds and 3 half-centuries. He was equally brilliant in Pakistan where he scored 229 runs at an average of 76.

The only place Barrington did not do that well was in West Indies, he scored 708 runs at an average of 44 with 3 hundreds in the Caribbean.

England batsmen will always be judged on how they perform in Australia, and Barrington was fantastic in that regard. He played 10 Tests in Australia and scored 1046 runs at an average of 70. It included 4 hundreds and 6 half-centuries, the only place where Barrington did not score a hundred in Australia was at the Gabba.

He performed even better in New Zealand where he scored 294 runs at an average of 73. His painfully slow 126 at Eden Park got him dropped from the team. Barrington saved his best for South Africa where he scored 508 runs at an average of 101, including 2 hundreds and 2 half-centuries.

(2) Darren Bravo (West Indies)

Darren Bravo: a better overseas batsman than Brian Lara.

Home- Matches: 24, Runs: 1233, Average: 29.36, Highest: 109, 100/50: 1/8.

Away- Matches: 25, Runs: 2167, Average: 50.40, Highest: 218, 100/50: 7/8.

Average Difference: 21.04

Darren Bravo has not played Test cricket for almost two years and is unlikely to play again in the near future. It is an absolute travesty as Bravo was easily the most elegant batsman of the modern era, and had the potential to be ranked alongside the likes of Kohli, Root, Smith, and Williamson.

The comparison with Lara was not at all outrageous but the southpaw has failed to live up to his great potential. Bravo made a fantastic start to his Test career but was unable to continue in the same vein. A big reason for that was Bravo's inability to score big runs in his home conditions.

There is no doubt that pitches in the West Indies have not been ideal for run-making but even after taking that into consideration, Bravo remains an outlier.

Darren Bravo has played 24 Tests in the West Indies and scored a mere 1233 runs at an average of 29.36. He scored only 1 century in that period, a match-winning 109 against New Zealand at Sabina Park in 2014. The numbers hardly do justice to his talent.

Away from the Caribbean, Bravo has been in his full element. He has played 25 Tests overseas and has scored 2167 runs at an average of 50.40. The numbers are not inflated by a hot streak, the left-hander has done well in almost all countries away from home.

He has scored 247 runs at an average of 49 playing in Australia, the numbers are even better in New Zealand where he has scored 262 runs at an average of 65, including his highest score of 216.

Bravo has been in spectacular form playing in the sub-continent. He has scored 504 runs at an average of 50.4 in India. He averages 50 in Sri Lanka, and 45 in the UAE. Bravo's best performance has come in Bangladesh where he has scored 450 runs at an average of 75, including 2 hundreds.

5 of Bravo's 8 centuries have come in the Asian sub-continent. The only place where Bravo has struggled is England, scoring a mere 81 runs at an average of 16 but it is worth noting that he has played only 3 Tests in England.

(1) Mohinder Amarnath (India)

Mohinder Amarnath played a crucial role in changing India's overseas reputation.

Home- Matches: 32, Runs: 1370, Average: 30.44, Highest: 131, 100/50: 2/7.

Away- Matches: 38, Runs: 3008, Average: 51.86, Highest: 138, 100/50: 9/17.

Average Difference: 21.42.

Mohinder Amarnath will always be remembered as the guy who played an instrumental role in India winning the 1983 World Cup, but Amarnath is also one of India's finest ever Test batsman.

Amarnath was India's best batsman after Gavaskar and the only thing that stopped that Amarnath from overshadowing Sunny was his poor record at home. Amarnath played in an era when Indian batsmen routinely struggled away from home, but Amarnath bucked the trend and was arguably India's greatest batsman overseas till Rahul Dravid came along.

Amarnath had to wait 7 years to play his second Test match but once he found his footing in international cricket, he was simply unstoppable.

Amarnath played 32 Tests at home, scoring 1370 runs at a mediocre average of 30. Amarnath scored only 2 hundreds and 7 half-centuries in those Test matches. The low point came in the 1983/84 series against West Indies where Amarnath scored only 1 run in 6 innings.

The story was completely different when Amarnath played in the West Indies, he scored 877 runs in 9 tests at an average of 54 in the Caribbean, including 2 hundreds and 6 half-centuries. Amarnath's lack of success in India could not be attributed to troubles against spin as he thrived in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Amarnath scored 856 runs at an average of 57 in Pakistan, and 216 runs at an average of 72 in Sri Lanka. He scored 5 hundreds in the 13 Tests he played in the two countries.

Amarnath found bouncy Australia pitches to his liking. He played 8 Tests Down Under and scored 668 runs at an average of 56. Amarnath is one of the few Indian batsmen to have scored a century at the WACA. He scored 100 and 90 in the only Test he played there.

Amarnath averaged 35 in New Zealand, and 30 in England having played only 3 Tests in the two countries. Overall. Amarnath scored 3004 runs at an average of 52 away from home with 7 of his 9 centuries also coming overseas.