The 5th wicket partnership for a team is highly crucial in the context of an ODI match, as it can make or break the momentum of an ODI innings. It’s not only about accumulating runs but also the pace at which they go about doing the same.
So basically, it comes down to how the 5th wicket pair controls the game’s tempo and adapts to the match situation, be it stabilising the innings after a top-order collapse or accelerating towards the end.
There are some iconic players who have stitched iconic 5th wicket partnerships in ODIs, and this has played pivotal roles in their team-winning matches. These partnerships will forever be etched in cricket history as memorable ones.
Here are the top 10 highest partnerships for the 5th wicket in ODIs.
Highest 5th Wicket Partnership in ODI
| Players | Runs | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Miller, Jean-Paul Duminy (SA) | 256* | Zimbabwe | Hamilton | 15 Feb 2015 |
| Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara (ENG) | 226* | Ireland | Dublin | 3 Sep 2013 |
| Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmadullah (BAN) | 224 | New Zealand | Cardiff | 9 Jun 2017 |
| Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja (IND) | 223 | Sri Lanka | Colombo (RPS) | 17 Aug 1997 |
| Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller (SA) | 222 | Australia | Centurion | 15 Sep 2023 |
| Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke (AUS) | 220 | New Zealand | Wellington | 7 Dec 2005 |
| Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed (PAK) | 214 | Nepal | Multan | 30 Aug 2023 |
| Sikandar Raza, Regis Chakabva (ZIM) | 201 | Bangladesh | Harare | 7 Aug 2022 |
| Virat Kohli, Kedar Jadhav (IND) | 200 | England | Pune | 15 Jan 2017 |
| Aiden Markram, David Miller (SA) | 199 | Netherlands | Johannesburg | 2 Apr 2023 |
Key insights from the above stats
9: The number of times 200 runs or more have been scored for the 5th wicket partnership in ODI cricket.
3: The number of occurrences where David Miller of South Africa finds himself in the mix of things on this list. The middle-order batter is present on the list 3 times, all with different players.
256: This is the highest 5th-wicket partnership ever in ODI cricket, and it was between the South Africa middle-order duo of David Miller and JP Duminy, who together forged an unbroken 256-run stand against Zimbabwe in a 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup game. Both of these batters scored tons each after a rough start for the Proteas, and the team won comfortably in the end. This is one of the highest partnerships in ODI World Cup history.
222: This is the second instance of David Miller featuring here, and this time with yet another dangerous white-ball finisher in Heinrich Klaasen. In a game against Australia at Centurion, the pair accumulated a staggering 222 runs from just 92 balls as the hosts bestowed their dominance over the Aussie bowlers. Klaasen played an incredible knock of 174 from a mere 83 deliveries, where he reached his 150 in just 77 balls.
Also Read | The Fastest Five 150 Scores in ODI Cricket
226: This unbroken partnership between former England skipper Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara stands second on the list of the highest 5th wicket partnerships in ODI cricket. The pair scored centuries each in this game against Ireland in Dublin and secured a coming-off-from-the-back win for England. This remained the highest 5th wicket stand for 2 years until it was broken by the SA duo.
2: There are 2 Indian pairs in this list; one is the evergreen duo of Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja, while the other is the combination of Kedar Jadhav and Virat Kohli.
223: The highest-ever 5th wicket stand by an Indian pair and it came from the former captain and vice captain combo of Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja in a game at Colombo against Sri Lanka in 1997. It was a tall chase of 303 set by Sri Lanka, and India lost 4/64, but this pair put up a record partnership for the 5th wicket back then. Both of these scored fine centuries but unfortunately ended up losing by just 2 runs.
200: The other instance where an Indian pair scored 200 or more for the 5th wicket was when Virat Kohli, in his early captaincy stage, put on a show along with Kedar Jadhav in what was a record-breaking run-chase of 351 runs at Pune against the visiting England team. Both of these batters scored centuries, and they scored these runs together from just 147 deliveries.
214: It was an Asia Cup game that happened in August 2023, and the Pakistani pair of skipper Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed were the architects of this highest 5th wicket partnership for Pakistan to date. Both of them scored tons in a stand that came in just 127 deliveries. This resulted in a dominating win for Pakistan over Nepal.
