After Sidhu retired, it wasn’t until Sehwag’s promotion to open the batting at Lord’s in July 2002 that India found a permanent solution to their opening problem. During that period, India experimented with 13 different openers while three more batsmen were given a go at the top before Gambhir’s debut in December 2004.

Sachin Tendulkar, MSK Prasad, Hemang Badani, Sameer Dighe, Iqbal Siddiqui and Yuvraj Singh were all asked to open the batting in a Test each while Parthiv Patel and Rahul Dravid opened twice in the period between Sidhu’s retirement and Gambhir’s debut. They aren’t a part of this list, however, as only batsmen who played four or more Tests as an opener during that period have been included.

Following their union in 2004, the Sehwag-Gambhir pair ultimately went on to become the most prolific Indian opening partnership. They added 4,412 runs together in 87 Tests at 52.52 – the highest average among partners who opened together in at least 70 matches – in an eight-year period between 2004-2012.

Shiv Sunder Das

Matches: 23, Runs: 1326 @34.89, 100s: 2, 50s: 9

Once considered India’s answer to their opening issue, Das got the longest rope before Sehwag-Gambhir took over. The right-hander’s technique was immaculate but like Ramesh, his failure to convert starts into big scores cost him his spot. All of his 23 Tests came between November 2000 and May 2002, and both his hundreds came against Zimbabwe at Nagpur in 2000.

Deep Dasgupta

Matches: 7, Runs: 306 @30.60, 100s: 1, 50s: 2

The wicketkeeper-batsman who is now a commentator didn’t start off as an opener, playing at number seven in both the innings of his first Test with Rahul Dravid asked to handle the opening spot. Yet, he became an instant hit while opening in his second Test, playing a match-saving 281-ball-63 second-innings knock against South Africa at Port Elizabeth. A maiden Test century against England in Mohali was followed by another half-century in Ahmedabad. Two fifties and a century in first three Tests as an opener promised a lot, but a high score of 30 in the next four Tests marked the end of his Test career.

Sanjay Bangar

Matches: 8, Runs: 327 @25.15, 100s: 0, 50s: 3

The former India batting coach, Bangar was renowned for his all-round skills in the domestic circuit – he took 300 wickets and scored 8,349 runs in 156 first-class matches. He started his Test career in the middle order before being promoted to partner Sehwag in the last eight Tests of his career but scores of 0, 1, 12, 1, 7 in his five last innings brought a premature end to his Test career. His ODI stint continued, however, for two more years.

Aakash Chopra

Matches: 10, Runs: 437 @23.00, 100s: 0, 50s: 2

The last opener tried before Gambhir made his debut in 2004, Chopra seemed to be cut out for Test cricket. But the issue of converting starts plagued him too. In 10 Tests, he had four scores in the 40s and crossed the 50-run mark twice but couldn’t get to three digits even once. He was included alongside Gambhir for a four-Test series against the touring Australian side in 2004, playing the first and third Test. While Yuvraj opened in the second match, Gambhir made his debut in the fourth.