England vs India, 2018: Five highest Test partnerships by India in England

There's always a sense of anticipation around a full-fledged Indian tour of England. Every cricket aficionado gears up for the healthy contest between the two juggernauts of the sport, so as to relish the riveting competition that thrives between them.

As the Indian Team led by Virat Kohli prepares itself for a new challenge in the home of cricket, history will wait to rewrite itself on the revered pitches of the country. It will be interesting to see which team comes out on top of this intriguing battle, which nation stands tall after the clash of these titans.

There have been some incredible performances by the Asians on English tours before, inspiring millions of aspiring cricketers by making it count on the biggest of stages and under the most testing conditions.

One of the biggest challenges a batsman faces in England revolves around building strong, formidable partnerships in the middle. It is difficult to stay on the same page with your partner as the ball keeps swinging under the clouds and minimizes the margin for error.

However, some Indian pairs have managed to overcome every trial in England to stitch partnerships that have successfully transcended sporting eras.

Let us look at the five highest partnerships by Indians in England:

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#5 211 by Vinoo Mankad and Vijay Hazare

Back in 1952, India toured England for the first time after getting Independence from Britain. The team ended up losing three and drawing one of the four Test matches that were played but showed a lot of fight and character on the tour.

One such instance of Indian resilience was on display at Lords in the second match of the series, where India were trailing behind the hosts by a deficit of 302 runs after the first two innings and it seemed as if they would capitulate to a defeat in the third.

The pair of Vinoo Mankad and Vijay Hazare stepped up though, anchoring the Indian ship through tumultuous waters. Both the batsmen had crossed fifty in the first innings and thus, were well-acclimatized to the conditions in the Mecca of Cricket.

Mankad played an impeccable knock of 184 on the day, whereas Hazare donned the role of the second fiddle perfectly, scoring 49 runs to put up 211 runs with the former. The partnership proved to be the fulcrum to India's batting effort in the third innings, helping them notch up a total of 378 runs, which thereby ensured that England would have to bat once again to claim victory in the Test.

#4 213 by Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan

Gavaskar was given the Man of the Match award for his terrific double hundred in London

The drawn match between England and India at the Oval in 1979 remains one of the most fondly-remembered classics of this rivalry. It was when the legendary Sunil Gavaskar almost took India to a famous victory, making a fourth-innings target of 438 look gettable to the visitors.

The match was eventually stopped with India coming excruciatingly close to a famous victory at 429/8, failing to script history by a whisker. The architect of this riveting performance from the Asians was Gavaskar, who, with his impregnable technique and unparalleled temperament, played a knock for the ages.

The Indian opening pair of Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan put up a partnership of 231 for the first wicket, making life difficult for the English bowlers. At that point, it did seem like the visitors would pull off a thrilling upset on the day, frustrating the hosts with their seamless pluck.

While Chauhan was dismissed by Bob Willis for a well-made 80, Gavaskar stayed put for 443 deliveries over six hours to script an epic knock of 221 runs.

#3 222 by Vijay Manjrekar and Vijay Hazare

India's first tour to England after Independence came in 1952

The Indian team under Hazare started their 1952 tour of England on a horrific note, struggling at 42/3 in the first innings of the first Test. It seemed as if the visitors were out of their depth at Headingley in Leeds, falling deeper and deeper into an abyss they wouldn't be able to dig out of.

However, the Indian skipper, along with Vijay Manjrekar, ensured that they had a leg to stand on going into the second innings of the match. Putting up a massive stand of 222 for the fourth wicket, the duo held on extensively to take their team to a fighting total of 293 and giving themselves a reasonable foundation in the game.

It was Manjrekar who was the vital cog to the partnership, notching up his maiden Test hundred with a score of 133 after coming in at Number 5. Hazare put up a solid effort as well and contributed 89 runs to build a formidable partnership with the right-hander.

#2 249 by Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly

India Captain Sourav Ganguly (FRONT) and Sachin

Tendulkae

Who doesn't remember this iconic overseas performance from the Indian Cricket Team?

A victory at the Headingley Cricket Ground by an innings and 46 runs, this remains India's biggest margin of win in England to date. It was the summer of 2002, when a strong and sumptuous side was gradually being developed under the able leadership of Sourav Ganguly.

After winning the toss and deciding to bowl first at Leeds, the visitors put up a massive total of 628 in the first innings, declaring after almost 182 overs of play. The architects of this stupendous performance were Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, and Rahul Dravid, who notched up three outstanding centuries for the visitors.

After the dismissal of the latter, the first two built a brilliant partnership between them, one to test, tire, and trouble the host bowlers. Tendulkar played a sublime innings of 193 runs, whereas, the Indian skipper scored 128 off just 167 deliveries. The pair put up 249 runs for the 4th wicket, thereby knocking the winds out of English sails.

#1 255 by Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly

Ganguly left a mark on the 1996 tour of England with his stupendous breakthrough in the Indian Test side

This legendary pair, which helped India secure countless wins in both Test and ODI cricket, has records galore to its name.

Ganguly impressed one and all in his debut series back in 1996, when he took on England in their own backyard. He was one of India's best performers through the series, earning numerous accolades from cricket experts and fans across the globe.

One of his most splendid performances came in the second Test of his career, when the left-hander smashed 136 runs off 268 deliveries in Nottingham. He was accompanied on the crease by an in-form Tendulkar, who racked up yet another century to add to his rapidly increasing stature in world cricket. The right-hander scored 177 runs in this brilliant knock.

They stitched a partnership of 255 runs for the 4th wicket, helping India reach a dominant total of 521 in the first innings. This remains the single greatest batting effort by an Indian pair in the longest format of the game in English conditions.