Fun to watch your favorite duo of batsmen play a whole day of Test cricket or let them have those big, massive century stand? You love it right here, as the following article will focus on this aspect.
Here, we will list the batting pairs who have registered 300+ partnerships, most times in Test cricket.
#5 VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid – 2
1) 376 runs vs Australia
Venue: Eden Gardens (India)
In the month of March 2001, cricket fans witnessed a marvellous effort pulled out by the legendary Indian duo as they batted for a whole day without being dismissed, which is an incredible feat to say at first.
On that day, we also saw the record for the highest-ever individual score by an Indian batsman, which was later broken. Laxman contributed 281, whereas Dravid made 180, helping to make a remarkable comeback and help India register a win. India won that historic Test series as well.
2) 303 runs vs Australia
Venue : Adelaide (Australia)
It seems like this pair has a great habit of downing mighty Australia, as just two years after their Eden Gardens heroics mentioned above, they again made a great partnership of 300+. It was when India was struggling at a low score of 85 with four wickets down.
India needed a massive turnaround if not for this magical duo who would have rescued India. These two great men combined with a beautiful effort: Dravid made his 19th Test ton, and VVS Laxman made his sixth overall and third against the Aussies.
#4 Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke – 2
1) 352 runs vs Pakistan
Venue : Hobart (Australia)
This unforgettable batting stand lasted more than seven hours and twenty minutes and consisted of 352 scoring runs. It was the second-highest partnership stand for Australia then. The cricketing world witnessed a tremendous double hundred (209) hit by Ricky pointing and 166 by Clarke. Find out the list of Australian batters with the most Test double centuries to their name.
2) 386 vs India
Venue: Adelaide (Australia)
This series was the one to remember for Michael Clarke. He became the first Test captain to have a double and triple hundred in the same series. Even Ponting went on to hit his double hundred as well, scoring 221 of 404 deliveries. They made this excellent partnership on Day 2 of the fourth test of the series, of which India had already lost the series reeling 3-0.
#3 Bill Ponsford and Donald Bradman – 2
1) 388 vs England
Venue: Leeds (England)
It was one heck of a partnership that the cricket fans witnessed on those days. Don Bradman took the toll on the bowlers, hitting boundaries and almost draining out their energy. Meanwhile, Ponsford played a watchful yet great knock. It was the second-highest partnership for Australia for a long time for any wicket stand. Bradman at stumps was at 271* with 39 fours and two maximums.
2) 451 vs England
Venue : The Oval (England)
This is the best-ever partnership for Australia for any wicket to date in Test cricket. After their 388 runs of havoc, this pair joined hands again against the same opponent in the same year to stitch an excellent partnership of 451 runs. Three other stands only better this century partnership, and it takes many years to overtake this record. Bradman was at his usual best, making runs flawlessly, hitting those boundaries now and then, and maintaining that healthy run rate.
With him was Ponsford, who did get a few chances to survive and hit a double hundred in his last test match. He ended his innings by hitting a good knock of 266, which helped Australia finish with 701 in the first innings of that match.
#2. Kumara Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene – 2
1) 624 vs South Africa
Venue: Colombo SSC (Sri Lanka)
For the highest-ever partnership in Test cricket, this legendary duo had to be part of this list. For the third wicket in a Colombo Test against South Africa, this duo made a mammoth 624 runs together. There was not much for the pace bowlers, in general, that day; there was some support for spinners, but nothing could do anything to this pair. Read other records the duo broke on that day.
Mahela went on to score the highest-ever individual score by a Sri Lankan, hitting 374, while the other went to hit the highest-ever score by a Wicketkeeper in Tests then, making 287.
2) 311 vs Bangladesh
Venue: Kandy (Sri Lanka)
Yet another day at work for these two, yet another masterclass of partnership. A year after the scintillating world-record Test partnership hit by the pair, they again shared the field to make a 300+ partnership. This time against an Asian counterpart, Bangladesh, Kumar went ahead to hit a double century, and Mahela got caught out to Syed after completing his part wonderfully, scoring 165 (210 balls).
List: Most 200s by Sri Lankan Batsmen
#1 GC Smith and Herschelle Gibbs- thrice
1) 301 Vs West Indies
Venue : Centurion (South Africa)
The Smith-Gibbs pair made looking big partnerships a fun thing. This was their third three-hundred surplus century stand which they had made together. West Indies asked proteas to bat first, which obviously did not seem a good idea as this duo opening made an incredible 301 runs partnership on Day 1 of the Test match. Read here about the maximum runs scored by a batter in a single day of a Test match here.
Graeme Smith got out after scoring 139 at a brisk rate, whereas Gibbs batted out a knock of 192, which was a slow yet almost flawless one.
2) 338 Vs England
Venue : Birmingham (England)
It was another day for their routine business of giving great starts to their team. This time they were up against England in their den. The domination of these two batsmen continued where they hit, be it any pacer or spinner, for runs.
This pair added 338 for the first wicket. Gibbs got out after a knock of 179 with a superb strike rate of 75.84. Meanwhile, Smith recorded his best Test score of 277 at almost a similar rate as that at which Gibbs played.
3) 368 vs Pakistan
Venue: Cape Town (South Africa)
Highest partnership of the three 300+ scores this duo had recorded. Already 1-0 up against Pakistan, they had nothing to lose; the openers went bonkers, scoring all around the park again at their usual best. Smith got out on 151 but did his part well. On the other hand, Gibbs scored yet another double-century and ended his innings with a score of 228.
