Top 5 Indian batting pairs in international cricket

Over the years, Indian Cricket has produced several reputed names in the sport. The list containing the likes of Kapil Dev, Mohinder Amarnath, Sunil Gavaskar, Bishan Singh Bedi, Mohammad Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Rahul Dravid, etc. This list extends until the players of today, like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah and so on, who have already cemented their place in the game and the hearts of millions of fans, within a short span of time.

Batsmen have always played a cardinal role in fans developing a greater interest towards the game. Arguably, spectators at large view batting as a bigger art than bowling, even today. And that is also the eventual reason why batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Sunil Gavaskar and so on have more importance in an Indian cricket fan's point-of-view. The situation is not different in other countries either, in case you wondered.

Time and again, we have read several stories and statistical pieces on the individual highlights and numbers of several Indian batsmen, alone. But as we know, cricket is a team game and the old adage says, two heads are definitely better than one.

Hence, let's now take a look at the best five of the most fruitful partnerships between pairs of some amazing cricketers throughout the length of their respective careers, across all international formats.

We have taken into consideration their numbers, figures, overall span and also how crucial their stands have been for the team.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar - Sourav Ganguly

The Tendulkar-Ganguly stand is one of a kind that was never been seen before, or after the time of both of them. In the seventeen years they played together, they amassed 12400 runs in 247 innings. That included 83 stands with scores above 50 runs and 38 of them were three-figure scores. Had this been a single cricketer's numbers, he would easily have been a legend of the game.

A decade after Ganguly stopped playing, the duo still holds the highest opening partnership numbers, with 6,362 runs in 129 matches, which includes twenty 100-run partnerships and 22 fifty-run stands.

A memorable moment from their stint would be when the duo compiled a record-making 252-run stand as openers, in a 1998 game against Sri Lanka. The match was won easily by India, and so were over 85% of games that featured a 50-or-more partnership between the duo.

Key numbers:

Span: 1992-2008

Innings: 247

Not-Outs: 6

Runs: 12400

High Score: 281

Average: 51.45

Centuries: 38

Fifties: 45

#2 Rahul Dravid - Sachin Tendulkar

If there is one pair that will give the Tendulkar-Ganguly one a run for its money, it's the one that Tendulkar shares with yet another legend, Rahul Dravid. There is no argument to the statement that the three players together have been the pillars of support on which the Indian team stood for more than a decade.

After the premature death of his father during the 1999 World Cup, Tendulkar rushed home and back to England immediately, to keep India’s chances alive after they had just lost a game against Zimbabwe. Dravid and him went on to score an unbeaten 237 together as India beat Kenya by 94 runs.

The same year, a few months later, Sachin and Dravid again wreaked havoc, this time at Hyderabad against a hapless New Zealand opposition, both of them scoring their career-highs of 186 (Sachin later improved it) and 153 respectively, en route a record-making 331 run partnership.

Dravid's and Tendulkar's numbers are second only to Tendulkar-Ganguly, in terms of span, innings, runs, centuries and fifties. 67 of the 74 games they have made 50+ runs together, India have finished first on the podium.

Key numbers:

Span: 1996-2012

Innings: 241

Not-Outs: 11

Runs: 11037

High Score: 331

Average: 47.98

Centuries: 31

Fifties: 43

#3 Mahendra Singh Dhoni - Suresh Raina

Here's a pair that has transcended all boundaries. From being partners who had each others' backs in the blue jersey, to being usual suspects in Chennai Super Kings' marauding run of form in multiple IPL seasons and Champions Leagues, the Dhoni-Raina story has come a long way.

Individually, they are both supremely talented batsmen, with very different styles and techniques. Put them together, when the team is under pressure and they become India's "super saver combo", according to what Sunil Gavaskar memorably said after Raina scored his maiden World Cup ton in 2015.

On that day, their unbeaten 196 run stand (Raina 100* and Dhoni 85*) took India home against Zimbabwe, also becoming the highest stand for any wicket for India in a successful chase in a World Cup match. Several such memorable partnerships form the essence of the magical duo.

India have won 27 and tied 1, out of the 31 games where Dhoni and Raina have made a stand greater than 50 runs.

Key numbers:

Span: 2005-

Innings: 101

Not-Outs: 11

Runs: 4354

High Score: 196*

Average: 48.37

Centuries: 10

Fifties: 21

#4 Rohit Sharma - Virat Kohli

Easily the best batting pair in the current day scenario. An average on the near side of 60. More century stands than the fifties. Seven 200 run stands in ODIs alone - which is another world record. It was in the recent Windies series that they scored one of those.

It has just been eight years since they have padded up together and we are already confused about the best moments from their days. Most of us will easily remember the epic 2013 Australian series at home, when 200-run stands from them saw India successfully chasing 350+ scores, not once but twice.

The 2018 Windies series was also an enormous one, where the duo literally helped win the series by forging a 90+ stand in the final game at Thiruvananthapuram, but not before sealing wins with thorough performances in previous matches too.

Out of the 37 games where the pair has notched more than 50 runs together, 34 were wins. As the future shines brightly on the both of them, here's to wishing for a strong foundation for India, graced by their presence.

Key numbers:

Span: 2010-

Innings: 101

Not-Outs: 6

Runs: 5661

High Score: 246

Average: 59.58

Centuries: 21

Fifties: 16

#5 Dilip Vengsarkar - Sunil Gavaskar

Probably one of India's earliest authoritative batting pairs in international cricket, both Vengsarkar and Gavaskar were from Mumbai, and having played domestic cricket together since way earlier, it must have helped them when they went up a notch, to bat together against international opponents.

The duo shared a lot of records, like most runs, best average for 100+ innings together, most centuries, most fifties and so on, until eminent successors like Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly and so on came forward and bettered them. However, that doesn't take any of the shine away from what these two legends have achieved together.

Remember, the duo came up at a time when India was widely regarded as just minnows in the international scene. The batsmen definitely played a huge role in upgrading India's position, as long as the World Map of cricket is concerned.

Key numbers:

Span: 1976-1987

Innings: 134

Not-Outs: 1

Runs: 5366

High Score: 210

Average: 40.34

Centuries: 16

Fifties: 17