Highest opening partnerships in ODIs

In cricket, it often becomes difficult to see the sport being played as a team one mostly owing to the usual singular focused nature of the course of play, despite that there are a few facades of the game where we get to see players crafting an identity of themselves as teams rather than individuals. One prime example of such coagulation is the opening pair. No two players in a side are closer to each other or are affected as much by another individual's performances on a given day.

They weather the bursts of big scary quicks together, they see each other's eyes light up at the welcome sight of a part timer and sometimes even do well enough to mask each other's technical vulnerabilities.

More importantly, they are the pillars of a cricket side's batting as they hold complete responsibility in wresting the initial momentum of the game from the opposition.

As Fakhar Zaman and Imam ul Haq punished the helpless Zimbabwean bowlers all over the Queen Sports Club, they scaled the highest opening partnership in ODI history. Here is a look at the five best efforts by opening pairs in the format.

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#5 Upul Tharanga & Tillakaratne Dilshan: 282 v Zimbabwe, Pallekele

When they ground Zimbabwe into submission.

Tharanga and Dilshan's formidable pair at the helm of the innings was one of the highlights of Sri Lanka's largely successful World Cup campaign in 2011. Having known the conditions better than anyone else, they capitalized on the advantage by racking up two stands in excess of 200, with the record effort coming in the group stage match against Zimbabwe.

Batting first, they had Sri Lanka off to a flier and in the duration of the innings, they settled into their usual roles with Dilshan playing the aggressor, keeping the fielders on their toes at all times while Tharanga steadily accumulated runs without attracting much attention to his antics.

It took them just 97 balls to bring up the 100 run stand and the solid start meant that the tone was set for them to punish Zimbabwean bowlers, Dilshan's 144(131) and Tharanga's 133(141) meant that the tourists were always going to be struggling to get to the target, ultimately being handed defeat by 139 runs.

#4 Quinton de Kock & Hashim Amla: 282* vs Bangladesh, Kimberley

One of the most prolific ODI pairs in modern cricket

A high on confidence Bangladeshi side arrived on the shores of the Rainbow Nation to repeat their heroics of 2015 against Proteas, things looked promising for them as the first innings of their ODI opening encounter tallied to 278 runs.

However, South Africa were not going to be outdone this time. The fiery de Kock and the sagacious Amla were ruthless in their performance like the former, yet calm in their temperament like the latter as they built a strong platform for South Africa to build their chase upon.

In the process, the openers became slightly too greedy as they exploited their own start and ensured that nobody else from the South African camp needed to undergo the troubles of batting. With 43 balls intact, they had racked up all the runs needed for a win in a display of batting perfection that could be termed only flawless.

Once again, de Kock was the one who put Bangladesh on to the backfoot with a stroke-filled 168(145) while Amla calmly gathered his 110 runs off 112 balls putting the visitors to the sword in incognito.

#3 David Warner & Travis Head: 284 vs Pakistan, Adelaide

Travis and the Bull's fun day at the carnival

Only the duo of Warner and Head could have provided to the crowd at the Adelaide Oval, a bigger spectacle than Australia Day, the day on which the hosts took on Pakistan in the final ODI of the series.

Records tumbled all over the place as Warner spared nobody in Pakistan's fine pace armory. Aided by Head's sturdy presence on his home deck, Warner made full use of the batting-friendly conditions at hand, racing off to a century in just 78 balls and launching into his trademark leap which was as monumental as the openers' effort in the stand.

A remarkable feature of the partnership was how the two simulated the effect of a left-handed and right-handed batsmen as Head, who made a sedately compiled 128(137), was quick to get on the backfoot and pull at every possible opportunity, while Warner flayed the consequential fuller length deliveries through the cover for the better part of the innings. As Warner was dismissed for 179, the pair fell just two runs short of the then world record for the highest opening stand.

#2 Upul Tharanga & Sanath Jayasuriya: 286 vs England, Leeds

Sage and carnage!

Back in the day when Twenty20 cricket had not taken off, there existed a thing in cricket such as scoreboard pressure. So when England hammered the Sri Lankan bowlers all over Headingley, it seemed as if the hosts would be able to prevent the embarrassment of a 5-0 whitewash in the fifth ODI of the series, having been outplayed in the first four.

Set 322 to win, Jayasuriya summoned his own destructive self to put on an exhibition for the ex-pat rich crowd as they cheered with their conch shells and drums every time he played his typical hoick that went seamlessly over point boundary. Tharanga was almost brushed out of the picture as Sri Lanka's favorite cricketer smoked the opening bowlers, Kabir Ali and Tim Bresnan, to leave them with combined figures of 8-0-101-0.

After 8 overs, Sri Lanka had 100 on the board and England, who earlier walked about smug and chipper, were sent crashing out of the contest in only a sixth of the overs they had prepared to defend their total in.

England's demoralization showed in the nine wides and the equal number of no-balls they bowled, clearly intimidated by the onslaught of Jayasuriya (152 off 99) and the impressive by second fiddle standards performance of Tharanga (109 off 102) as England were blanked 5-0 with the chase done and dusted in a little over 37 overs.

#1 Fakhar Zaman & Imam-ul-Haq: 304 vs Zimbabwe, Bulawayo

Record holders!

Pakistan have never been renowned for their batsmen, especially in one-day cricket where they have often been labeled as lagging behind the dynamics of the age's game in terms of collective performance. Shahid Afridi tried to change the perception, but the pressure of expectations and his own flamboyance got the better of him, and eventually, the mantle was handed to Fakhar Zaman.

In the fourth ODI against Zimbabwe on their 2018 tour, he slayed all critics of Pakistani batting, in his partnership with newly inducted opener Imam-ul-Haq. While they began cautiously, mixing settling defensive cricket with percentage stroke play to maintain a healthy run rate.

As the innings progressed, Zaman abandoned all thoughts of risk and donned the long handle, he was soon joined by Imam in the proceedings as the Zimbabwean bowlers were made to look clueless. They gauged the slowness in the pitch well enough and played more square of the wicket rather than the V, except for the occasions they decided to take the aerial route.

The partnership was almost chanceless until Imam holed out to be dismissed for 113(122), but the damage had been done and the two had a slice of history to themselves by becoming the first opening pair to breach the 300 run mark.

Oh, and Zaman went on to register a dainty little double century, 210(156), for himself.