5 best master-apprentice duos in international cricket

Cricket has a great ability to inspire. A number of legendary cricketers are seen as role models by the younger generation. Many try to imitate their style of play while growing up. As a result, their game starts resembling that of their heroes in more ways than one.

Be it the swagger, the batting technique, or the stance, and in the case of bowlers, the run-up, and the bowling action, the inspiration is often quite evident. In some cases, the influence goes beyond the technical aspects and is more philosophical in nature.

Either way, one has to agree that having a role model often helps an upcoming cricketer mold his game in a certain manner.

A chosen few are even lucky to rise through the ranks and end up playing alongside their heroes on the big stage On that note, let’s take a look at five of the best master-apprentice duos in international cricket.

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#1 Sachin Tendulkar-Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag (left) and Sachin Tendulkar. Pic: Getty Images

It is no secret that the swashbuckling Virender Sehwag modeled his batting on the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

While the latter made his international debut in 1989, Sehwag entered the big stage in 1999. He made his Test debut in 2001 in South Africa and famously featured in a 220-run stand with Tendulkar in Bloemfontein, with both batters smashing hundreds.

In his early days, Sehwag’s batting was literally a carbon copy of Tendulkar. However, as he grew in stature, he carved a niche for himself as a dynamic cricketer and went on to become one of the most feared batters in world cricket.

Tendulkar and Sehwag added 5964 runs as a pair in international cricket in 138 innings. They featured in 17 century stands and 23 half-century partnerships.

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#2 Steve Smith-Marnus Labuschagne

Steven Smith (left) and Marnus Labuschagne. Pic: Getty Images

Marnus Labuschagne has been pretty candid about the fact that Steve Smith has been his biggest inspiration in the game. The pair were recently in the news when they smashed double hundreds in Australia’s 164-run win over West Indies in the Perth Test.

While Labuschagne smashed 204 off 350 balls in the first innings, Smith was unbeaten on 200 off 311 balls. The duo added 251 runs for the third wicket in a dominant display.

In the second innings as well, they featured in a significant stand, with Labuschagne again crossing three figures. Smith and Labuschagne complement each other really well.

While Smith made his Test debut in 2010 and Labuschagne in 2018, when they are at the crease, it just seems they have been batting together all their lives!

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#3 Virat Kohli-Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav (left) with Virat Kohli. Pic: Getty Images

They may have had a famous staring battle while playing for different opponents in the IPL a couple of years back. However, Suryakumar Yadav has been pretty open about his admiration for Virat Kohli.

The latter himself is a self-confessed fan of Suryakumar’s 360-degree batting exploits. When they are together at the crease for India, fans are often in for a treat.

It’s been a short partnership at the international level since Suryakumar only made his debut in March 2021. However, he has taken the cricketing world by storm, especially in the T20 format.

As a pair, the pair complement each other to near perfection. Kohli is mostly content anchoring the innings and watching Suryakumar’s fireworks from the other end.

As a pair, Kohli and Suryakumar have featured in 15 T20I innings, scoring 623 runs at an average of 51.91 with two century stands and an equal number of fifty partnerships. There are a few more to come for sure.

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#4 Ross Taylor-Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson (right) and Ross Taylor. Pic: Getty Images

Former New Zealand captain Ross Taylor and current skipper Kane Williamson are among the most prolific batting pairs in international cricket.

As a batting duo, they scored over 8000 runs across the three formats of the game in 159 innings at an average of 54.91 with 24 hundred partnerships and 37 half-century stands. No other Kiwi pair have scored more runs for the country.

What made Taylor and Williamson tick was that they never tried to outdo each other. Both were willing to play second fiddle for the sake of the team.

Taylor was an established batter in the team by the time a young Williamson entered the scene. But when they were out in the middle, there was an instant camaraderie that resulted in one of the greatest partnerships in world cricket.

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#5 Imran Khan-Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram (left) and Imran Khan. Pic: Twitter

Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram has expressed his admiration for his former skipper Imran Khan numerous times.

With an eye for talent, Imran identified Akram’s potential at a very young age and took him under his wings. The left-arm seamer flourished under Imran’s guidance and his unflinching support, the same attributes also played a key role in Waqar Younis’ rise.

In the 1980s, Imran and Akram formed a lethal left-arm right-arm combo. One had experience and the other had raw pace. The two were also great exponents of the art of reverse swing, making life doubly difficult for batters around the world, especially in Test cricket. Few bowlers wreaked havoc in international cricket to the extent that Imran and Akram did.

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