5 highest Indian partnerships in an overseas Test (outside Asia)

#1 Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman – 353 (Sydney - 2004)

Tendulkar ended the series on a high with a career-best (then) of 241.

The 2004 Sydney Test (New Year’s Test) is mainly remembered as it was Steve Waugh’s last Test match. And it was also remembered for Sachin Tendulkar’s 241 where he didn’t hit a single cover drive.

India after having won the second Test (in Adelaide), lost comprehensively to Australia in the next Test at the MCG. However, they were in with a very good chance of winning their first-ever series in Australia when the teams moved to Sydney for the fourth Test.

India batted first and got off to an excellent start (with a 123-run opening stand). However, they were soon reduced to 194/3 and they suffered a collapse in the previous Test. However, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman came together at that stage and produced a fabulous partnership of 353.

Tendulkar, in particular, who had gone through an under-par series till then consciously made an effort not to drive the ball through the offside. The master blaster was very patient throughout his innings of 241 as he watched VVS Laxman produce a special innings at the other end. The duo blunted the Aussie bowling attack (Lee, Gillespie, Bracken and MacGill) superbly as their partnership set-up India’s first innings total of 705 (their highest ever Test score at that time).

India were on course to register their first series win down under, but a gritty 80 from skipper Steve Waugh (in his final innings) and a 77 from Simon Katich helped Australia eke out a draw.