Highest aggregate partnerships for each wicket in Test cricket

Cricket is a team sport played between 22 players. Yet, at a time, there is only the striker and non-striker facing all the eleven opponents. Every partnership is essential in Test cricket. We always notice the mammoth partnerships and how they save the team from a grim situation or how they pile the agony on the fielding side. The incident of ending up 496 all out from 298/9 can happen any day and that is the magic of developing a partnership. While such recoveries are noted, we often tend to miss out on the aggregators.

Following are the pairs which have added most runs in Test cricket for a particular wicket. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid hold the record of scoring most runs as partners but we will see where they lie for the third wicket partnership. The aggregate tally also provides the glimpse of why Australia and West Indies ruled world cricket for so long. Here is a wicket-by-wicket breakdown.

(All statistics as on 16th January 2019)

First wicket

Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes

The openers -throughout the course of Test cricket, these remain the two spots where batsmen are most scrutinized before being selected. The opening pair has to face the immediate brunt of the opposition. Bowlers are at their fittest at the start of the innings and the first wicket is tasked to see them off.

The testing job has seen some worthy candidates. The pairs of Hobbs-Sutcliffe, Lawry-Simpson, Greenidge-Haynes, Atapattu-Jayasuriya, Sehwag-Gambhir, etc. have etched their names in cricket history. The most prolific amongst them has been the West Indian opening pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes.

The intimidating duo opened the innings for West Indies for a whopping 148 times from 1978 to 1991. Greenidge-Haynes added 6,482 runs at an average partnership of 47.31. Their highest stand was of 298 against England. The duo added 100 runs for the first wicket 16 times while they made team’s fifty 26 times. Without a doubt, they were an integral part of West Indies’ world domination.

Second on the all-time list is the Australian pair of Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer (5,655 runs in 113 innings averaging 51.88) while Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook take the third position with 4,711 runs in 117 outings.

Second Wicket

Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden lead the Australian juggernaut

The batsman at number three is the backbone of the batting lineup. He has to be able to withstand the barrage if one of the openers is removed early and ensure the team to the position of safety with the other opener. Precisely the reason for many great batsmen batting at number three.

Australia ruled over cricket for a period of roughly 13 years, starting from 1995 to 2008. The ‘Engine room’ of their batting juggernaut included their top three batsmen. Once Justin Langer was dismissed, it was Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting who refused to get separated. The pair is more than a thousand runs clear of the next candidate. Hayden and Ponting raised 4,734 runs in 71 outings while averaging 71.72 per innings. They enjoyed 100 run partnerships 16 times with 272 being their best performance.

They are followed by another left-right combination of opener Graeme Smith and number three Hashim Amla. The South African duo scored 3,644 runs together at an average nearing 59. Desmond Haynes and Richie Richardson from West Indies remain a close third.

Third wicket

Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara loved batting together for a long time

This is where the major run-scoring takes place. The openers should have blunted the new ball and the new ball attack by now. Once the openers return, it is time for the two best batsmen of the team to make most of the situation. The greatest legends of the game - Bradman, Lara, Dravid, Tendulkar, Kallis, Sangakkara and many others have all batted at three or four.

The partnership that secures the top spot in the all-time list is the greatest bromance in world cricket. It is, of course, the Sri Lankan left-right combination of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Batting together for 101 Test innings, these two contributed 5,997 runs at an average of 60.57. One amongst their 19 hundred-plus stands is the gigantic partnership of 624. This world record was achieved in 2006 against South Africa at Colombo.

The second name on the illustrious list belongs to the Indian icons. The immortal pair of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar scored 5,826 with an average close to 50 in 123 knocks together for the third wicket. The South African duo of Amla-Kallis takes the third spot with 3,577 runs.

Fourth wicket

Pakistan's batting stars - Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan

The team is three down, and this is the time for the core of the middle order to step up. Batsmen batting at number four and five have entertained us with mammoth partnerships over the years for the fourth wicket. The Australian pair of Shaun Marsh and Adam Voges holds the record with the stand of 449 runs against West Indies in 2015. However, the aggregate record is claimed by a famous Pakistani pair.

In May 2017, an era came to an end in Pakistani cricket as two of its most prolific batsmen left the stage together. Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq called quits on their Test career in the Caribbean. Before" MisYou" departed the scene, they had totaled 3,138 runs for the fourth wicket. The pair boasted a phenomenal average of 69.73 and celebrated the 100-run partnership 15 times in their 51 knocks together.

Continuing the Asian domination, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera occupy the second spot with 2,710 runs at an average of 61.59 with 10 century stands in just 46 innings. The Indian pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly is close third on 2,695 runs in 44 outings with 64.16 runs per partnership.

Fifth wicket

Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq

This is typically the last recognized pair of batsmen at the crease. One of the most spirited fightbacks in Test cricket was staged for the fifth wicket. On a fine day in March 2001, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid joined hands for a 376-run partnership for the fifth wicket and scripted history. The Indian duo features fourth on the list with 1,410 runs at a stunning average 67.14 in 23 Test innings.

The leaders surprisingly come from Pakistan. Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq take the top spot for the fifth wicket. These two batted together 39 times together after the fall of the first four. They combined for 1,960 runs at an impressive average of 51.57. Misbah and Shafiq added 100 or more runs for the fifth wicket on 15 occasions.

Two of all-time great Australian batsmen and captains, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting scored 1,649 runs for the fifth wicket. Their average partnership was 74.95 runs. They are followed by the pair of Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey who average an astounding 98 with 1,470 runs in 17 innings.

Sixth wicket

Steve Waugh and Ian Healy

The number seven spot is the spot of wicket-keepers. From being a specialist behind the stumps, the glovesmen have featured in prominent roles in front of the stumps as well. The likes of Adam Gilchrist and Mark Boucher revolutionized the keeping roles, and the sixth wicket partnership became a strong hope for the team.

The first pair on the all-time scoring list for the sixth wicket is the Australian pair of Steve Waugh and Ian Healy. Waugh was renowned for his grittiness and never-say-die spirit. His partner in the rousing fightbacks was often Ian Healy. In their 11 years stay, these two added 2,170 runs in 53 innings for the sixth spot. They averaged 42.54 and frustrated the opposition with six century stands.

Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn appear at the second spot with 1,351 runs at an outstanding average of 75.05 in 20 innings. Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin complete the Australian trio with 1,293 runs in 19 innings.

Seventh wicket

Shaun Pollock and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher appealing in unison

The batsmen have returned and it is all up to the wicketkeeper and the bowlers now. The seventh-wicket partnership mostly takes place between the keeper and best batsman among the bowlers. Interestingly, there have been two triple-century stands for the seventh wicket, both occurred in 1955.

The leaders in the aggregate runs for the seventh wicket are the South African duo of Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock. The doughty keeper and the tall all-rounder added 912 runs in 28 innings. They maintained a healthy average of 33.77 and stitched one century and four fifty stands together. Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori scored 793 runs together in 19 outings for the seventh wicket.

Eighth wicket

Adam Gilchrist and Brett Lee

In 2010, Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad raised an unbelievable partnership of 332 runs for the eighth wicket against Pakistan at the Lord’s. While it remains a tremendous feat, the aggregate numbers point to the Australian superiority once again.

In the span of six years from 2000 to 2006, Adam Gilchrist and Brett Lee batted together for 17 innings and added 458 runs for the eighth wicket. The duo celebrated a century partnership (135 runs) as well. The deadly combination of Saqlain Mushtaq and Wasim Akram appears at the second spot with 405 runs in nine attempts.

Ninth wicket

James Anderson and Graeme Swann

With eight wickets already down, the opponents are now hoping to crash the last two quickly and get back to batting. However, a few pairs have prolonged the dream with steadfast defiance. The most prominent among them was the pair of James Anderson and Graeme Swann. These two raised a century partnership once and have a total of 258 runs from 10 stands.

The English pair was closely rivaled by the Australian. Adam Gilchrist appears once again, this time with Jason Gillespie. They had added 254 runs in nine innings. India’s Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan put together 250 runs in the same number of innings.

Tenth wicket

BJ Watling and Trent Boult

The stubbornness of the last wicket is a great matter of annoyance for any opposition. The delay keeps the openers on their toe and frustration on the field rises steadily. The champion partners for the tenth wicket are Trent Boult and BJ Watling from New Zealand. These two have batted last ten times and have added 335 runs together. Their highest stand was of 127 runs against Bangladesh in 2013.

In terms of pure bowlers, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie grab the top spot with 321 runs in 19 innings. These two enjoyed a century stand as well. The legendary duo of Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan scored the same number of runs together in one inning less.