Imagine a batting team six or seven down in a Test match. It will take another three-four good balls to end their innings.
Batting in such situations is often tricky, with a lot of pressure on the batters to put up runs and hold both ends. That’s when batters need to form stable partnerships while prolonging their team’s fight.
Over the years, we have seen a lot of pairs showing grit while stitching partnerships for 6th or lower wickets. These stands helped their teams get back into the game and frustrate the opponents.
On that note, here are the top 10 highest partnerships recorded for the 6th or lower wickets in Test cricket.
Highest Partnerships for 6th or Lower Wickets in Tests
| Partners | Runs | Wicket | Against | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (ENG) | 399 | 6th | South Africa | Cape Town | 2016 |
| BJ Watling, Kane Williamson (NZ) | 365* | 6th | Sri Lanka | Wellington | 2015 |
| Brendon McCullum, BJ Watling (NZ) | 352 | 6th | India | Wellington | 2014 |
| Mahela Jayawardene, Prasanna Jayawardene (SL) | 351 | 6th | India | Ahmedabad | 2009 |
| Denis Atkinson, Clairmonte Depeiaza (WI) | 347 | 7th | Australia | Bridgetown | 1955 |
| Don Bradman, Jack Fingleton (AUS) | 346 | 6th | England | Melbourne | 1937 |
| Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (NZ) | 339 | 6th | Bangladesh | Hamilton | 2010 |
| Stuart Broad, Jonathan Trott (ENG) | 332 | 8th | Pakistan | Lord’s | 2010 |
| Adam Gilchrist, Damien Martyn (AUS) | 317 | 6th | South Africa | Johannesburg | 2002 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq, Wasim Akram (PAK) | 313 | 8th | Zimbabwe | Sheikhupura | 1996 |
Key Insights
6: The English pair of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow hold the record for stitching the highest 6th wicket partnership in Test cricket. The duo put on a 399-run stand for the 6th wicket after England were struggling at 223 for five against South Africa in the 2016 Cape Town Test.
258: During that record partnership, Stokes hammered 258 runs, which is the highest by a No. 6 batter in the longer format.
2: New Zealand’s BJ Watling and Brendon McCullum are the two batters to share two 300-plus run 6th or lower wicket partnerships each. Both batters have a 352-run stand between them against India, while the other came with Kane Williamson (356* vs SL) and Martin Guptill (339 vs BAN), respectively. Interestingly, all three partnerships came against Asian sides.
300: Pakistan’s Imtiaz Ahmed-Waqar Hasan (308 for 7th) and Australia’s Brad Haddin-Michael Hussey (307 for 6th) are the other two pairs with 300-plus stands for 6th or lower wicket.
7: Denis Atkinson and Clairmonte Depeiaza recorded the highest 7th wicket stand in Test cricket. The Caribbean duo scored 347 runs together against Australia in the 1955 Bridgetown Test.
8: England’s Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad stitched the highest 8th wicket partnership, scoring 332 runs against Pakistan in the 2010 Lord’s Test. During the stand, Broad scored 169 runs, which is the second-highest score by a No. 9 batter in Tests.
313: The 313-run partnership for the 8th wicket by Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq against Zimbabwe in 1996 is the highest involving two proper bowlers. Akram slammed an unbeaten 257 in that innings, logging the highest score by a No. 8 batter.
9: South Africa’s Mark Boucher and Pat Symcox forged the highest stand for the 9th wicket. They contributed 195 runs together against Pakistan in the 1998 Johannesburg Test.
10: England’s greatest pacer, James Anderson, assisted Joe Root quite well to forge the highest 10th-wicket partnership. The pair added 198 runs for the last wicket against India in the 2014 Nottingham Test.
238: The 238-run stand for the 6th wicket by Adam Gilchrist and Justin Langer is the highest in a successful run chase. The Australian batting pair helped their team crush the 369-run target set by Pakistan in the 1999 Hobart Test.
Check: Which Indian cricketers have scored a century and a duck in a same Test match?
