Highest Partnerships in Tests by Wicket

Highest Partnerships in Tests by Wicket: Partnership, well the word by itself envelops the involvement of two as one! Perhaps in Cricket too, the meaning literally holds its stand. Throughout the years, we have experienced some thunderous partnerships, of course the opening stands between Sehwag and Gambhir, the historical stand between Dravid and Laxman that took India to the most unexpected victory in 2001 and also the scintillating partnerships between Sangakkara and Jayawardene followed by Hayden-Gilchrist. But are we aware of the best partnerships in the game? I bet that most of us don’t! So, to enhance our cricketing knowledge with some crunchy statistics, let us explore the Highest Partnerships in Tests by Wicket: 1st Wicket, 415 runs – Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith: Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith. (Photo Source: AFP) The figure itself proves the majestic touch of the partnership. In fact this partnership was made in 2008, breaking the 52-year old record opening stand between Pankaj Roy and Vinoo Mankad of 413 runs. The partnership was made right in the first innings against the mighty minnows, Bangladesh. Smith scored a total of 232 while McKenzie arched the partnership by his contribution of 226 runs. South Africa won the match by the margin of an innings and 205 runs. 2nd Wicket, 576 runs – Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama: Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama. (Photo Source: Wisden Cricket Monthly) Perhaps this partnership was made in one of the most glorifying run feasts in the history of test cricket at Colombo in August, 1997. Sri Lanka went onto score the highest total in test cricket of 952 runs in a single innings. Jayasuriya anchored the partnership by scoring 340 runs while Mahanama, who came into bat when Sri Lanka were slightly inclined to the spots of bother at 39 for 1, smashed a smart knock of 225 runs. The match was drawn and there were no second innings in the game. 3rd Wicket, 624 – Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene: Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. (© Getty Images) Six Hundred and Twenty Four Runs! Yes, that is what you just read! The biggest partnership in the history of international cricket was struck by the two pivots of the Sri Lankan test line up of the past decade and that too against one of the best in the business, South Africa. Sangakkara, who was dismissed to conclude the partnership scored a total of 287 runs while Mahela went on to score a mountain alike innings of 374 runs. Courtesy of the monstrous partnership, Sri Lanka crunched the South Africans by an innings and 153 runs. 4th Wicket, 437 runs – Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera: Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera. (Photo Source: AFP) Well, the partnership was built-in perhaps one of the most terrified test series in the history of Cricket. Yes, it was made in the first test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan during Sri Lanka’s tour to Pakistan in early 2009. Coping to the unmatched class of Jayawardene, Samaraweera assisted him well to set up such a partnership. Jayawardene managed to score 241 runs while Samaraweera left the crease with the score of 230. The match ended in a draw. 5th Wicket, 405 – Sid Barnes and Sir Donald Bradman: The England team pay tribute to Donald Bradman the Australian captain, playing in his last Test Match. (© Getty Images) This partnership takes its stand in the last as perhaps one of the oldest of the lot. In the test match against England in at the SCG. After being down to 159 for 4 in reply to England’s 255, this partnership between Sir Bradman and Barnes set sail the tone for the Australian innings. Coincidence at its best, both the batsmen were dismissed at the score of 234 runs and eventually, Australia won the match by an innings and 33 runs. 6th Wicket, 399 – Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow: Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow made a record 399-run partnership for the 6th wicket vs South Africa. (Photo Source: Twitter) England were in trouble 4 down for 167 on the first day of the second Test against South Africa at Cape Town and once Joe Root got out on 50 towards the end of the day Jonny Bairstow joined in Ben Stokes at the crease. The two not only negotiated the remaining overs in the day without any further damage but also came out with a positive intent and an attacking plan on the following morning. Both the batsmen dealt in boundaries and scored faster than run-a-ball. Stokes got to his hundreds, double and 250 while Bairstow also hit his maiden Test hundred. By the time Stokes was run-out on 234 the two had put together a mammoth 399-run partnership for the 6th wicket and took over the record held by Williamson and Watling. Bairstow remained unbeaten on 150 as England declared on 629/6. 7th Wicket, 347 – Denis Atkinson and Clairmonte Depeiaza: In 1955 at Barbados, after the West Indies were put on the back foot being reduced 147 for 6 in their first innings, there was a sensational match saving partnership made by the skipper, Atkinson and the wicket-keeper, Depeiaza. Atkinson went onto score 219 while Depeiaza contributed 122 runs to the total. The match ended in a draw. 8th Wicket, 332 – Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad: Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad. (Photo Source: Getty Images) In the fourth test between England and Pakistan, at the Lords, English batsmen were tested by the Pakistan bowling and were reduced to 102 for 7. It was then that the match swung around with a gulping partnership between Trott and Broad. Broad, whose dismissal concluded the partnership scored a total of 169 runs while Trott was dismissed later for a score of 184 runs. England won the match by an innings and 225 runs. 9th Wicket, 195 – Mark Boucher and Pat Symcox: At Johannesburg in 1998, the Proteas were put to the gunpoint by the intensified aggressive bowling of the Pakistanis. After being reduced to 166 for 8 in the first innings, the former South African Pat Symcox a tail ender, turned things up for the Proteas. Symcox scored a century while wicket-keeper Boucher played the defensive role in the partnership. Symcox was dismissed for 108 while Boucher went for 78 runs. 10th Wicket, 198 – Joe Root and James Anderson: Joe Root and James Anderson. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Last year, during India’s tour to England, the first test was full of twist and turns. England, in reply to India’s 457 in the first innings, were down to 298 for 9 when the unbelievable partnership between Joe Root and James Anderson took off. Anderson scored 81 runs while Root remained unbeaten at the score of 154 runs. It was indeed one of the match saving partnerships in the history of cricket at Nottingham. The match eventually ended in a draw. (All Stats Updated Till 9th October 2016)

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Highest Partnerships in Tests by Wicket

4^th Wicket, 437 runs – Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera:

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