Partnerships are very important in any format of the game, but they are paramount in Test cricket, the oldest and purest form of the sport. Two players coming together to blunt the opposition’s bowling attack is very important for the Whites as it allows their team to dominate.
In the rich history of almost 150 years in Test cricket, several players have stitched massive partnerships in the longest form of the game. Here, we list the biggest partnerships in Test cricket.
Top 10 Highest Partnerships in Test Cricket
Here is the list of the top greatest partnerships in test cricket history:
1. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene – 624 runs
Sri Lanka batters Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are at the top of the list of record partnerships in Test cricket. The record happened back in 2006 against South Africa in Colombo. The Proteas were skittled for just 169 in the first innings, and in response, Sri Lanka were reduced to 14/2. This was when Sangakkara and Jayawardene joined hands to pile the agony on the opposition team.
The duo stitched a world record stand of a staggering 624, keeping South Africa wicketless for a massive 157 overs, leaving them frustrated. Both of them played chanceless knocks as the skipper of Sri Lanka, and then Jayawardene smashed 374 off 572 balls with 43 fours and a six to his name while batting for 752 minutes.
On the other hand, Sangakkara, who is one of the top batsmen in ODI cricket, notched up 287 during his marathon stay of 675 minutes, facing 457 deliveries and hitting 35 fours. On the back of their partnership, Sri Lanka posted 756 on the board before declaring and eventually won the game by an innings and 153 runs.
2. Roshan Mahanama and Sanath Jayasuriya – 576 runs
Sri Lanka players Roshan Mahanama and Sanath Jayasuriya also stitched one of the top batting partnerships in Test history. The duo piled on as many as 576 runs against India way back in 1997 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. In response to India’s 537 in the first innings, the hosts lost Marvan Atapattu early but then the visitors had to wait for a long time.
Jayasuriya and Mahanama kept the Indian bowlers at bay and plundered the opposition at will. While the former smashed a record-breaking 340, Mahanama also scored 225 to leave the opposition deflated. Both batted for a staggering 799 and 753 minutes respectively. Thanks to their partnership, Sri Lanka posted the world record total of 952 runs before declaring which is still the highest ever total in Test cricket.
With Sri Lanka not getting bowled out in the first innings, this match ended in a high-scoring draw.
3. Andrew Jones and Martin Crowe – 467 runs
Way back in 1991, New Zealand batters Andrew Jones and Martin Crowe frustrated Sri Lanka in Wellington in one of the longest partnerships in Test match records. After conceding a massive lead of 323 in the first innings, the Kiwis needed to make a massive effort to save the Test match, and they did so with aplomb, thanks to Jones and skipper Crowe.
The two players joined hands with the team’s score reading 148/2 and batted for 562 and 610 minutes, respectively, to stitch 467 together to stumble big records. Jones scored 186 during his stay in the middle, while Crowe was unfortunate to miss out on a well deserved triple hundred getting out for 299 runs. However, the effort from the duo helped New Zealand draw the game.
4. Joe Root and Harry Brook – 454 runs
The partnership has been a very rare phenomenon in modern-day Test cricket, but England batters Joe Root and Harry Brook managed to do so against Pakistan in 2024. Batting on a flat deck in Multan, the duo scampered for 454 between the wickets in just 86.3 overs to record the 4rth highest partnership in Test cricket.
Pakistan had posted 556 in the first innings, and the dominance of Root and Brook was such that England managed to smash 823 before declaring their innings with a massive statement. Root scored 262 off 375 balls with 17 fours during his 601-minute stay in the middle, while Brook was even more aggressive, smashing 317 off 322 balls with 29 fours and three sixes in his 418-minute stay at the crease.
Thanks to the aggressive approach from the two England batters, the visitors managed to take a lead of 267 runs in the first innings. Pakistan, under pressure, collapsed big time in their second effort to be bundled out for only 220. England created history winning the match by an innings and 47 runs as Pakistan became the first team to lose after posting more than 500 on the board in their first essay.
5. Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman – 451 runs
This record breaking effort from Australia batters Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman, one among the greatest of all time cricketer, dates back to 1934. At the Oval, the two players plundered the bowlers of the arch-rivals, adding 451 runs for the second wicket. The world record effort then, is now the fifth highest partnership ever in the longest format of the sport.
After opting to bat first, Australia lost Bill Brown with just 21 runs on the board. However, the other Bill and the legendary Bradman then piled on the agony against the likes of Wally Hammond, Bill Bowes, Gubby Allen and others to leave the home side deflated. No bowler could dismiss Ponsford as he eventually got out via hit wicket after scoring 266, while Bradman amassed 241 during his stay at the crease.
Thanks to their brilliant batting effort, Australia scored 701 and won the match comfortably by 562 runs, one of the biggest winning margins in Test cricket.
6. Mudassar Nazar and Javed Miandad – 451 runs
It was one of the very few India vs Pakistan battles where the latter side was on top back in 1983 in the match played at Hyderabad (Sind). Batting first, Pakistan piled on 581 for the loss of three wickets before declaring the innings.
It was due to some brilliant batting by Mudassar Nazar and Javed Miandad. After losing two wickets for just 60 on the board, Nazar and Miandad joined hands to amass a lot together at will against the likes of Kapil Dev, Mohinder Amarnath and Balwinder Sandhu, among others.
This show from the star duo of the Pakistan team was one of the highest run partnerships in Test matches. Nazar batted for 627 minutes facing 444 balls and scored 231 with 21 fours and a six to his name. Miandad went one step further to bat for a staggering 696 minutes to remain unbeaten on 280 off 460 balls with 19 fours and a six.
India were a no match to Pakistan in this encounter as they could only post scores of 189 and 273 to eventually lose the clash by a margin of an innings and 119 runs.
7. Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh – 449 runs
In December 2015, Australia dominated the West Indies at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart with an excellent batting display. Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh were at the centre of this effort as ran between the wickets to collect 449 together, the seventh highest partnership in Test cricket. After opting to bat first, they were 121/3 before Voges and Marsh joined hands and the rest is history.
They took the attack to the West Indies bowlers to leave them deflated for 87.3 overs as the visitors were stunned with their stand. Voges remained unbeaten on a staggering 269 off just 285 balls as he was at the crease for 410 minutes and he smacked 33 fours as well.
On the other hand, Marsh scored 182 before getting dismissed after facing 266 balls during his 382-minute stay in the middle. Australia posted 583 in their first innings and then picked 20 wickets of the opposition for 223 and 148 in the two innings, respectively, to eventually win the match by an innings and 212 runs.
8. Gary Sobers and Conrad Hunte – 446 runs
West Indies dominated Pakistan in the Test match played in Kingston way back in 1958. In response to the visitors’ 328, the Caribbean side rode on a massive partnership from Gary Sobers and Conrad Hunte. After dismissing Rohan Kanhai at the score of 87, Pakistan were denied a single wicket for the next 446 runs in a record partnership.
Sobers and Hunte piled on at will to leave the Pakistan bowlers frustrated despite posting a competitive total in the first innings. Hunte, opening the batting, scampered between the wickets to collect 260 with 28 fours and a six to his name, while the legendary Sobers remained unbeaten on 365 during his 614-minute stay at the crease, smashing 38 fours.
Thanks to their efforts, West Indies amassed a mammoth 790 for the loss of just three wickets before declaring with a lead of 462. The Caribbean side eventually won the match by an innings and 174 runs, with Pakistan mustering only 288 in their second effort.
9. Kumar Sangakkara and Marvan Atapattu – 438 runs
Sri Lanka batters, yet again, are on this list with their record partnerships in Test cricket. Zimbabwe were at the receiving end this time around in a game played in Bulawayo. In response to 228 posted by the home side, Sangakkara and Marvan Atapattu piled the agony on the bowlers after joining hands with the score reading 100/1.
Both of them notched up their respective double-centuries to stitch 438 together for the second wicket. While Atapattu scored 249 runs, Sangakkara smashed 270 as the duo batted for 516 and 468 minutes respectively. Their batting effort led the team from the island nation to 713 runs for the loss of three wickets before declaring.
The lead of a staggering 485 was always going to be too much for Zimbabwe as they could only score 231 in their second innings. Sri Lanka won the Test match comfortably by an innings and 254 runs.
10. Thilan Samaraweera and Mahela Jayawardene – 437 runs
Sri Lanka have dominated the list of biggest partnerships in Test cricket and another duo, Thilan Samaraweera and Mahela Jayawardene is featuring in the top 10. Pakistan bowlers were at the receiving end this time in February 2009 in Karachi. After opting to bat first, Sri Lanka made the most of the flat batting conditions to amass a mammoth score of 644 stunning the opposition.
Samaraweera and Jayawardene were the main reasons for their excellent effort with the bat. The duo got together at 177/3 and kept Pakistan wicketless for 108.3 overs. Skipper then, Jayawardene smashed 240 runs off 424 deliveries while batting for a huge 531 minutes, smashing 32 fours during his stay.
Samaraweera also showed off his batting skills to collect 231 in 318 deliveries during his 454-minute stay in the middle. He smashed 31 fours as well on his way to a brilliant double ton. With the pitch not deteriorating, Pakistan also posted 765 on the board, and the match eventually ended in a draw.
FAQs
The partnership of 624 runs between Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene for the third wicket is the highest ever in Test cricket. The record was created in July 2006, and after more than 18 years, it is still intact.
Sri Lanka’s players have recorded 400-plus stands four times in the longest format of the game. No other team has registered such massive partnerships most of the time in this form.
Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy stitched 413 for the first wicket in the whites against New Zealand at the M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai back in January 1956. The record is still intact after 68 years. Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid got extremely close to breaking this record against Pakistan in Lahore in 2006 adding 410 together opening the innings.
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