2. Aakash Chopra:
Akash Chopra was the epitome of a classical opener whose job was to blunt the new ball from one end so that middle order players were not exposed to the new ball.
He played his role perfectly. This was more prominent in India’s tour of Australia in 2003-04 where he complemented Sehwag’s blasting play with some patient knocks which laid the foundation for later players to bat on relatively easier conditions.
However, the flip side to this style of batting is that one has to play some really long knocks. Aakash Chopra failed to score runs for the team and for him as well. The only, which he used to do is knock the ball straight to the fielder or leave it alone. The plan was good to survive on the pitch but not in the team, as they ultimately looked at his runs.