After the fall of the 3rd wicket, the score added by the batting team before the fall of the next wicket is referred to as the 4th wicket partnership. It is typically an extremely important phase in the game, particularly in the longest format.
It’s never simple to form a dominant 4th wicket partnership, whether it’s to save the side after losing the first three wickets in quick succession or to build on the foundation laid by the top order.
Revisiting some of those exceptional partnerships, here are the top 10 highest partnerships in Test cricket for the 4th wicket:
Highest 4th Wicket Partnerships in Test Cricket
| Partners | Runs | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Root & Harry Brook (ENG) | 454 | Pakistan | Multan | 7 Oct 2024 |
| Adam Voges & Shaun Marsh (AUS) | 449 | West Indies | Hobart | 10 Dec 2015 |
| Mahela Jayawardene & Thilan Samaraweera (SL) | 437 | Pakistan | Karachi | 21 Feb 2009 |
| Peter May & Colin Cowdrey (ENG) | 411 | West Indies | Birmingham | 30 May 1957 |
| Sir Garfield Sobers & Frank Worrell (WI) | 399 | England | Bridgetown | 6 Jan 1960 |
| Bill Ponsford & Sir Donald Bradman (AUS) | 388 | England | Leeds | 20 Jul 1934 |
| Ricky Ponting & Michael Clarke (AUS) | 386 | India | Adelaide | 24 Jan 2012 |
| Kane Williamson & Henry Nicholls (NZ) | 369 | Pakistan | Christchurch | 3 Jan 2021 |
| Virat Kohli & Ajinkya Rahane (IND) | 365 | New Zealand | Indore | 8 Oct 2016 |
| Sachin Tendulkar & VVS Laxman (IND) | 353 | Australia | Sydney | 2 Jan 2004 |
Stas Insights:
India’s Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja hold the record for the highest 4th wicket partnership in ODIs (275* vs Zimbabwe in 1998). Likewise, 166* by Bikram Arora and Varun Thamotharam of Malta is the highest 4th wicket partnership in T20Is which they achieved against Gibraltar in 2021.
The highest 4th wicket partnership in Test Cricket of 454 runs by Joe Root and Harry Brook is also the 7th highest partnership for 4th wicket in overall First Class Cricket. The highest (577) is by Vijay Hazare and Gul Mohammad for Baroda against Holkar during the 1947 season of Ranji Trophy.
449 by Voges and Marsh is also the 7th highest partnership in Test cricket for any wickets. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene’s partnership of 624 runs against South Africa in 2006, which they scored for the 3rd wicket, is the highest partnership in Test cricket for any wickets.
In Test cricket, there have been 19 4th wicket partnerships of 300 runs or more. Only Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke have achieved this feat twice.
