The 4th wicket partnership holds great significance as far as ODI cricket is concerned due to the fact that the batsmen playing this role for his team must maintain the run-scoring and build momentum in the middle overs. Once a team has lost three wickets, the pressure is on to rebuild the innings, and keep the scoreboard ticking, or continue the good work in case the start was good.
Furthermore, the 4th wicket partnership should be able to dictate the course of an ODI match. It not only provides a platform for a competitive total but also exerts immense pressure on the opposition. Let’s discuss which partnership has flourished more at this phase of the batting innings.
Highest 4th Wicket Partnership in ODI
| Players | Runs | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja (IND) | 275* | Zimbabwe | Cuttack | 9 Apr 1998 |
| Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh (IND) | 258 | England | Cuttack | 19 Jan 2017 |
| Faf du Plessis, David Miller (SA) | 252 | Australia | Hobart | 11 Nov 2018 |
| Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds (AUS) | 237 | Sri Lanka | Sydney | 12 Feb 2006 |
| Daryll Cullinan, Jonty Rhodes (SA) | 232 | Pakistan | Nairobi | 29 Sep 1996 |
| Dawid Malan, Jos Buttler (ENG) | 232 | South Africa | Kimberley | 1 Feb 2023 |
| William Porterfield, Kevin O’Brien (IRE) | 227 | Kenya | Nairobi (Ruaraka) | 2 Feb 2007 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Carl Hooper (WI) | 226 | South Africa | East London | 24 Jan 1999 |
| Andrew Strauss, Andrew Flintoff (ENG) | 226 | West Indies | Lord’s | 6 Jul 2004 |
| Michael Bevan, Steve Waugh (AUS) | 222 | South Africa | Melbourne (Docklands) | 16 Aug 2000 |
Key insights from the above stats
2: The Indian pairs hold the top two highest partnerships for the 4th wicket in ODIs. Apart from them, there are 2 pairs each from Australia, South Africa, and England.
275: This is the highest ever 4th wicket stand in the history of ODI cricket, and the Indian duo of Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja hold it. The pair have played most of their cricket together, and this partnership means they are forever etched in the record books.
These middle-order batters didn’t usually get a long time to bat out in the middle because of the top-heavy Indian batting line-up, and this was an occasion where there was a batting collapse at the top. So this experienced pair had to step up, which they did and added 275 for the 4th wicket in 249 balls. India eventually made 301 as Azharuddin registered his career-best score of 153 and Jadeja remained unbeaten on 116.
258: The other Indian batting pair to be present here on this list is the legendary duo of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni. They have had numerous match-winning stands in ODIs, and this one was their last century-run stand together. And boy, it was a memorable one at Cuttack, as it came when India was in deep trouble, losing 3 wickets for 25, and this pair then added 258 runs for the 4th wicket. While Yuvraj scored his career-best ODI score of 150, Dhoni registered the last of his ODI ton (134) as India made 381 in their 50 overs.
Also Read | 47 Records held by MS Dhoni in International Cricket
252: Faf du Plessis and David Miller share the 3rd highest 4th wicket stand, and they did so against Australia in Hobart in 2018. South Africa was reduced to 55/3 in the 16th over before the left-right-hand batting joined hands to lead a recovery of sorts for the visiting side. The pair added 252 runs in just 199 balls to give the Proteas a respectable score of 320, which they were able to defend. Miller made his highest ODI score of 139, while skipper du Plessis also made a century (125).
The 2nd highest South African partnership for the 4th wicket came in 1996 when the team was up against Pakistan in a clash at Nairobi. South Africans lost their top order rather early and were reduced to 38/3 before the duo of Daryll Cullinan and Jonty Rhodes joined hands to form a partnership for the ages. They added 232 runs, with both making stunning centuries to take South Africa’s total to 321.
237: The number of runs made by the Aussie duo of former skipper Ricky Ponting and all-rounder Andrew Symonds in the 2006 ODI game against Sri Lanka at SCG. The hosts had an uncharacteristic beginning as they lost 3/10 in the first 3 overs, and the visitors were on a roll. But the duo forged a staggering partnership of 237 runs, which took away the hopes of a rare Sri Lanka win down under. Symonds scored his best ODI score of 151, and Ponting made one of his many ODI tons.
The other instance of an Aussie pair finding a place was thanks to a 222-run stand between Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan. Known as one of the best finishers of all time in ODIs, Bevan scored a match-winning 106 and resurrected the innings with his skipper, who made 114 himself. This stand took Australia to 295, resulting in an easy win at Docklands in Melbourne.
232: This is the highest ever 4th wicket stand for England in ODI cricket, and it came between the duo of current England skipper Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan against South Africa earlier this year. After being down at 14/3, Malan (114) found an able ally in Buttler, and together they added 232 for the 4th wicket at Kimberley. Buttler made a stunning 131 as England piled up a strong 346 on the board.
226: The other English pair was that of former opener Andrew Strauss and their champion all-rounder Flintoff, who added 226 runs after struggling at one stage at 55/3 in the 19th over. Both of them scored a century, and England made 285, which was ultimately chased down by the West Indies.
Speaking of the West Indies, the other 226-run stand for the 4th wicket features the batters from the Caribbean, and they are the legendary batters Shivnaraine Chanderpaul and Carl Hooper. Shiv scored a brilliant 150 and Hooper made a hundred to take the West Indies’ total to 292, which proved to be enough on what was not a straightforward batting wicket.
227: Ireland batters Kevin O’Brien and Porterfield made merry in this marathon stand of 227 against Kenya in 2007.
