Glorious beginnings: Top 5 opening partnerships in Test cricket
While finishing a game in limited-overs cricket is considered as one of the toughest jobs, so does opening the batting in Test cricket. Fresh opening sessions of Test cricket have especially become a hostile environment where the pitch and the bowlers both have been earnestly hounding the openers out. Since 1960, the year 2018 saw the lowest batting average (26.28) and the best overall bowling average (27.37). But there have been some exquisite occasions where the openers did terminate the red cherry’s potency by plunging some expansive four hundred runs partnerships.
Here’s a list of top 5 opening partnerships in Test cricket.
5. Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson – 382 vs West Indies (1965)
Again being a game which comprised some formidable names like Garry Sobers and Lance Gibbs, the occurrence was an utter run-fest. By batting first, both Simpson and Lawry looked commendable right from the start by collectively amassing 263 in the first day’s play. The second day again demonstrated their lethal stroke play which got refrained when Simpson after reaching 201 got dismissed. While the first wicket was demolished when the score was 382, the second wicket (Bill Lawry) was fetched on the score of 522.
4. Glenn Turner and Terry Jarvis – 387 vs West Indies (1972)
Being slightly untested, both these players were poles apart in terms of their personality. By winning the toss, skipper Garry Sobers had declared the first innings of WI to a total of 365-7 in Georgetown. The NZ openers firstly gave a careful start by ending the third day’s play at 163-0. The next day’s play then became a dazzling story when the duo got separated on 387. While amassing this mammoth partnership, Jarvis scored 182 while Tuner went on to score a double hundred.
3. Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid – 410 runs vs Pakistan (2006)
With Sehwag being as aggressive as one can and with Dravid being the wall, this poles apart pair did sharp-wit the entire Pakistani bowling line up. While batting first, Pakistan had piled a mammoth score of 679/7 d at Lahore. With the wicket being a belter for batting, India’s first innings response transpired in a 410 king-sized partnership where Sehwag scored 254 and Dravid bricked an unbeaten 233 balls 123. With a plethora of runs being fetched the match ended in a draw.
2. Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy – 413 runs vs New Zealand (1956)
Being the world record partnership for close to 52 years, that too excessively on a turning Chennai wicket almost made this partnership an elusive occurrence. By batting first, both the openers became the first pair from India to bat the entire day’s play at that time. After the second days’ lunch, the duo broke the existing highest partnership (359) of Hutton and Washbrook. All in all, while Pankaj Roy did get out for 173, Vinoo Mankad did score a record 231.
1. Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith – 415 runs vs Bangladesh (2008)
It was that time of South African cricket where the jewels of Graeme Smith’s world-class Test side had players who were taking baby steps to become legends. They were the best visiting team of that time especially in Asian conditions and such was the story against hosts. With the basics of batting being adhered, a robust 415 runs were produced in 94.3 overs. Both the openers scored double hundreds (Smith 232 and McKenzie 226) making South Africa win the second Test by an innings and 205 runs.
