The Indian team has always been known for giving the cricketing world some of its finest batsmen. Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar among others dominated bowlers from other teams during their time and their legacy is being carried forward by the likes of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane.
One of the most striking aspects about India’s batting over the years has been the formation of some iconic partnerships which tilted matches in favour of the team. These great collaborations between the country’s batsmen have come in both home and away Tests and also in several different types of scenarios.
Here is a closer look at the 5 highest partnerships in terms of runs for India in Tests:
#5 365 – Virat Kohli & Ajinkya Rahane vs New Zealand at Indore, 2016
The most recent great partnership between two batsmen from India has been witnessed during the ongoing Test against New Zealand at Indore. A 365-run stand for the 4th wicket involving two batting stalwarts of the current Indian Test line-up, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, has put the hosts in complete control of the 3rd and final Test of the series.
At 100 for 3 in 36 overs, the Indians were certainly not in a comfortable position after winning the toss and batting first. It is at this time that Rahane joined his skipper, who was batting on 16, with Cheteshwar Pujara falling for 41.
What followed is bound to become another memorable chapter in India’s rich cricket history as the duo went on build an epic partnership of 365. While Virat Kohli scored his second double century (211) before getting out and ending their association, Ajinkya Rahane narrowly missed on his first by just 12 runs.
The two prolific batsmen surpassed Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman’s 353 at Sydney in 2004 to register the highest 4th wicket partnership for the Indian team in Tests. The home side eventually declared with a mammoth score of 557 for 5 on the board, leaving the Kiwis with an uphill task of trying to match it.
#4 370 – Murali Vijay & Cheteshwar Pujara vs Australia at Hyderabad, 2013
India’s whitewash of Australia in the year 2013 is perhaps one of the team’s greatest series victories at home in the past decade or so. While the host nation’s spinner hogged the limelight on most occasions, the batsmen, too, had a big role to play in their grand success.
One of the batting highlights of the 2013 Border-Gavaskar Trophy was a huge 370-run partnership for the 2nd wicket between Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara in the second Test at Hyderabad. The Australians, rather bizarrely, declared their 1st innings for a score of 237 for 9 and pushed the Indians back by dismissing Virender Sehwag early.
Pujara came in to give Vijay company with the score on 17 for 1 in the 8th over. The pair started off rather cautiously but slowly started to gather momentum as they went from strength to strength and kept piling on the runs for India.
More than 100 overs and 370 runs later, the incredible partnership between two of India’s most talented batsmen ended with Murali Vijay’s dismissal for 167. Cheteshwar Pujara completed his double century soon after his partner got out but he, too, perished for 204.
The massive stand involving Pujara and Vijay is currently the best 2nd wicket partnership and also the fourth highest in terms of runs in Indian history. It helped Team India compile a huge total of 503 and inflict an innings defeat over the touring Aussies.
#3 376 – VVS Laxman & Rahul Dravid vs Australia at Kolkata, 2001
Perhaps the greatest ever Test match involving India witnessed one of the finest partnerships in the history of world cricket. An epic alliance between two legendary Indian batsmen, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, thwarted the mighty Australians to give their country a victory to savour for years to come.
The writing was on the wall for the Indians as they followed on after being dismissed for 171 in their 1st innings while responding to Australia’s 445. They were looking much better in their 2nd innings but when skipper Sourav Ganguly fell for 48 with India on 232 for 4, there was a lot to worry about.
As an under-fire Dravid walked in to join Laxman, who had been promoted to the former's No. 3 position, at the crease, no one had a hint of the magic that was about to transpire at the Eden Gardens. In the next 104 overs, the duo removed every obstacle out of their way and staged a historic comeback for India in the Test.
By the time VVS Laxman was out for 281, the then highest Test score by an Indian, he and Rahul Dravid had put on a record 376 runs for the 5th wicket. The partnership turned out to be the platform for an unbelievable 171-run victory for India in the Test and tilted the momentum of the series in India’s favour.
#2 410 – Virender Sehwag & Rahul Dravid vs Pakistan at Lahore, 2006
Virender Sehwag is easily one of the greatest opening batsmen of all time not only in India but in world cricket. Apart from scoring big runs and changing the dynamics of batting at the top of the order, Sehwag also formed some iconic partnerships with other stalwarts in the Indian team during his career.
The most fruitful one among these was his 410-run stand alongside Rahul Dravid in a Test against Pakistan at Lahore in 2006. The home side had posted a mammoth score of 679 for 7 in their 1st innings thanks to centuries from Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal.
In what was a makeshift opening combination, Sehwag joined forces with Dravid to unleash a lethal attack on the Pakistani bowlers on a flat deck. As the Delhi batsman disdainfully smashed the bowling to all parts of the ground, his partner provided steady support from the other end.
Having amassed 254 off just 247 balls, Virender Sehwag eventually got out but not before he had added 410 runs with Rahul Dravid to produce the 2nd highest opening partnership in Indian cricket. The match, however, ended in a stalemate with just 8 wickets falling in 5 days of Test cricket.
#1 413 – Pankaj Roy & Vinoo Mankad vs New Zealand at Madras, 1956
One of the earliest great chapters in the history of Indian batting came in the year 1956 when Pankaj Roy and Vinoo Mankad put together a legendary 413-run partnership against New Zealand at Madras (now Chennai). It is an opening partnership record which stayed for 52 years before South Africa’s Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie broke it in 2008.
The Indians batted first after winning the coin toss and gave Roy and Mankad ample opportunity to create history. The duo did not disappoint and kept on piling the misery on the hapless Kiwis until Pankaj Roy ultimately got out for a crafty 173 with 413 runs added for the 1st wicket.
Mankad went on to score 231 and India declared at 537 for 3, leaving the Kiwis clueless about how to proceed. The Indian bowlers complemented the special effort of the batsmen by dismissing their opponents for 209 and 219 in their two innings respectively and giving the team an innings victory.
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