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Test cricket, the pinnacle format of the sport, is a gruelling contest of skill, stamina, and resilience. It’s a battle where partnerships play a pivotal role.
Two batsmen, standing firm against the bowlers’ onslaught, can build a foundation that sets their team on the path to victory. This article explores the top 10 highest partnerships for any wicket in test cricket history, highlighting the incredible achievements of these batting pairs.
1. Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Era: 1996 – 2012
Innings: 143
Runs: 6920
Highest Run Partnership: 249
Average: 50.51
100 Run Partnership: 20
50 Run Partnership: 29
Master Blaster Little Champion and The Wall are the finest batsmen. They both are the grace of the game. India is fortunate to have these two batsmen in the playing eleven. They both are master-class batsmen. There is the planet of innings in between them that put India on the edge in the game.
Both batsmen have scored more than 29,000 runs in partnership. Both the batsmen have scored more than fifty runs in partnership on 49 occasions. And this partnership has witnessed 20 times more than a hundred-run partnership. This is more than any other pair in test cricket history. It is amazing.
They have passed 200 runs partnership together three times with their highest partnership of 249 against Zimbabwe in Nagpur in 2000. Their solid pair partnership has given many important victories in test cricket history. There is no occasion when they scored important runs and India faced a loss in the match.
Their most memorable partnership was against Australia in Kolkata in 2001 when Dravid joined Tendulkar when India had 284/4 against the Australian score of 391 on board and their 169-run partnership took India beyond Australia by 77 runs. They both add more runs to their partnership than any other pair before them.
2. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
Era: 2000 – 2014
Innings: 120
Runs: 6554
Highest Run Partnership: 624
Average: 56.50
100 Run Partnership: 19
50 Run Partnership: 27
The story of Jayawardene and Sangakkara transcends the boundaries of the cricket field. Born just a few months apart, their cricketing journey began in their teens, playing alongside each other in Sri Lankan school cricket.
This early association fostered a deep understanding and camaraderie that translated seamlessly onto the international stage.
While their partnership produced numerous noteworthy contributions, one stands head and shoulders above the rest – their colossal 624-run stand for the third wicket against South Africa in 2006.
This feat remains the highest partnership for any wicket in Test cricket history, a testament to their unwavering concentration and complementary styles.
3. Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge (West Indies)
Era: 1978 – 1991
Innings: 148
Runs: 6482
Highest Run Partnership: 298
Average: 47.31
100 Run Partnership: 16
50 Run Partnership: 26
The 1980s belonged to West Indies cricket, and Haynes and Greenidge were at the forefront of their dominance.
They feasted on bowling attacks worldwide, amassing a staggering 6,482 runs in Test cricket – the third-highest partnership total of all time. Their average of 47.31 stands as a testament to their remarkable consistency.
Their journey together was a treasure trove of memorable moments. Their highest partnership of 298 against England in 1990 showcased their ability to dominate attacks for extended periods.
Greenidge, known for his insatiable appetite for runs, notched up 17 Test centuries while batting alongside Haynes. Haynes, the quintessential team player, contributed 16 centuries.
4. Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer (Australia)
Era: 1997 – 2007
Innings: 122
Runs: 6081
Highest Run Partnership: 255
Average: 51.53
100 Run Partnership: 14
50 Run Partnership: 28
Both players spent the day out of the aspect. Langer was dropped from the number three slot for scoring too slowly but got here in to replace the flamboyant but erratic Michael Slater inside the 2001 Ashes collection, right away scoring one hundred.
Both are master-class players who are masters in their games. They both played 113 innings together and scored a total of 5655 runs in partnership. They scored their highest 255-run partnership against Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, that match result was drawn. But Mathew Hayden was awarded man of the match in the match.
He joined Hayden, who had set up himself around the turn of the century after five years within the wasteland. Both men had been making up for lost time.
They had been in no way capable of scaling the heights of Lawry and Simpson’s 382, but they surpassed the hundred mark in 14 instances and scored at such an alarming price that the sport regularly in no time ran far from the fielding side.
5. Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook (England)
Era: 2006-2012
Innings: 132
Runs: 5253
Highest Run Partnership: 229
Average: 40.40
100 Run Partnership: 14
50 Run Partnership: 21
Both first opened together for their county side in 2003. Strauss, the senior by five years, had already made his Test debut in 2004, while Cook, a prodigy, was on the national selection. The 2009 Ashes series in England marked a turning point for the Strauss-Cook partnership.
In the Test at Lord’s, they stood together a monumental 196-run opening partnership, the highest for England at the iconic venue. Strauss batted through the entire first day, scoring a gritty 161, while Cook fell short of a century but provided crucial support.
This partnership laid the foundation for a dominant English victory, reclaiming the Lord’s fortress and setting the tone for a series win. It cemented their reputation as a world-class opening pair and instilled a belief in the English team that they could compete with the best.
6. Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting (Australia)
Era: 2001-2009
Innings: 76
Runs: 4765
Highest Run Partnership: 272
Average: 67.11
100 Run Partnership: 16
50 Run Partnership: 22
The opening partnership of Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting. This wasn’t just any opening pair; it was a force to be reckoned with, a juggernaut that instilled fear in bowlers worldwide. Their contrasting yet complementary styles combined to create a legacy etched in the annals of Test cricket history.
The numbers speak volumes about the sheer dominance of the Hayden-Ponting partnership. They amassed a staggering 4,765 runs in Test cricket at an incredible average of 67.11, the highest for any opening pair in history (as of April 2024).
They notched up 16-century partnerships and a further 22 fifty-plus partnerships, a testament to their remarkable consistency.
7. Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)
Era: 1997 – 2007
Innings: 118
Runs: 4469
Highest Run Partnership: 335
Average: 40.26
100 Run Partnership: 9
50 Run Partnership: 24
Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka had for the first time in their lifestyles a gap pair that would journey the sector and hassle the satisfactory. Atapattu, stubborn in defence and relentlessly providing the whole face of the blade, even in attack; ensuring the ball remained glued to the carpet; and Jayasuriya, a free spirit, hardly ever conforming to any of the above.
Both played 118 innings together and scored 4469 runs in partnership. Jayasurya was a hitter of that time and played a unique kind of cricket while Atapattu was a good player with a very good average and strike rate.
Their highest partnership was against Pakistan where they both scored 335 runs partnership and helped Sri Lanka to post 467/5 runs on board match was drawn.
8. Gautam Gambhir and Virendra Sehwag (India)
Era: 2004 – 2012
Innings: 87
Runs: 4412
Highest Run Partnership: 233
Average: 52.52
100 Run Partnership: 11
50 Run Partnership: 25
A tall left-hander trampling all around the bowlers at the front foot, and a brief proper-exceeded back foot service provider. And so it proved as Graeme Smith, the young captain, and Herschelle Gibbs, the mercurial riot, have become South Africa’s public face of the recent beyond.
Smith, along with his overwhelming backside hand grip, might whip balls through the rectangular leg, as Gibbs hovered at the back foot, pouncing on any width.
Both played 56 innings together and built a partnership of 2983 runs. Their 1st partnership was against Bangladesh at 87 runs and the last partnership was against West Indies at 53 runs.
Their highest partnership was against Pakistan of 368 and 2nd highest was against England of 338 runs. Their duo was very successful and helped to seal a win for their teams in many innings.
8. Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Era: 1996 – 2008
Innings: 71
Runs: 4173
Highest Run Partnership: 281
Average: 61.36
100 Run Partnership: 12
50 Run Partnership: 16
Sourav Ganguly left-handed batsman known for his elegance at the crease, Ganguly was a vital part of the Indian team for many years. He played over 100 Tests and 300 ODIs, scoring numerous centuries.
Master Blaster little champion widely known as the god of cricket. Sachin Tendulkar has played over 463 ODIs and 200 Tests and scored 100 centuries and 164 half-centuries in both combined.
they both are masters of cricket and played together in 71 innings and scored 4173 runs in the test partnership. With an average of 61.36 and their highest-run partnership is 281.
9. Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman (India)
Era: 1996 – 2012
Innings: 86
Runs: 4065
Highest Run Partnership: 376
Average: 51.45
100 Run Partnership: 12
50 Run Partnership: 14
The history of cricket is incomplete without Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. What a great batsman they are. Nobody in the modern generation can compare with these two batsmen.
VVS Laxman, whose initials is said as “Very Very Special” and Rahul Dravid is known as “The Wall”. Dravid is known for their patience; masters class batting spent most of his time on the pitch and had frustrated many bowlers was fun to watch.
They are unstoppable when they are together patiently and calmly. The most memorable match was against Australia in Eden Garden in 2001 when Australia was on their 16th straight test win and it was quite clear that they would force India to follow on.
Dravid and Laxman came to bat at the score of 232/4 and there was no hope left for India and it looked series loss for India.
Rahul Dravid made 180 and VVS Laxman made a career-best 281 and planned a historic win for India against Australia.
10. Hashim Amla and Jack Kallis (South Africa)
Era: 2004 – 2013
Innings: 67
Runs: 3923
Highest Run Partnership: 377*
Average: 61.29
100 Run Partnership: 11
50 Run Partnership: 10
The Partnership between South African batsmen Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis stands out for its longevity, consistency, and sheer volume of runs scored. This article delves into their remarkable partnership, exploring its impact on South African cricket and its place within the wider narrative of Test match batting.
The numbers speak volumes about the success of the Amla-Kallis partnership. They hold the record for the most runs scored by a South African pair in Test cricket, amassing a staggering 3923 runs in 67 innings.
This translates to an impressive average of 61.29, a testament to their consistent ability to convert partnerships into substantial scores.
Their partnership also boasts an impressive record of milestones. They notched up 11-century stands, showcasing their ability to build partnerships that could alter the course of a Test match.
Additionally, they shared 10 fifty partnerships, highlighting their consistency in providing a solid foundation for the South African batting line-up.
