Top 5 England Test opening pairs of all time

When it comes to Test cricket, the opening batsmen are the least glamorous members of the batting order due to the very nature of their roles.

They are supposed to dig in against the new ball and lay the platform for the middle-order stars to cash in.

Over the course of their rich cricketing history, England have produced some of the finest opening batsmen, but the opening batsmen work in pairs and in that regard as well, they have been blessed.

Some of the world's best opening pairs have done duty for England over the years in Test cricket and here is a look at 5 of the finest.

#5 Michael Atherton and Graham Gooch

Former England great Graham Gooch is one of the greatest batsmen to have played for his country and in 1990, he formed a superb opening partnership with a young Michael Atherton.

Gooch was at the peak of his powers as a batsman at the time and his technical skill, temperament, hunger for runs and the refusal to give away his wicket made him an extremely tough opponent.

On the other hand, the young Michael Atherton, who went on to become England's opening batsman for the next decade, showed all the hallmarks of the gifts that made him such a vital player.

He was incredibly patient, had the correct technique and was ready to spend hours at the crease without playing a shot in anger. The pair opened in 44 Test matches from 1990 to 1995 and totalled 2501 runs in their partnerships, at an excellent average of 56.84.

Atherton and Gooch put on opening stands in excess of hundred on 7 occasions and crossed fifty 12 times.

#4 Andrew Strauss and Marcus Trescothick

The two left-handed batsmen formed one of the most formidable opening partnerships in world cricket between 2004 and 2006 and were responsible for England's new found solidity at the top of the order.

Andrew Strauss was the grafter, who preferred to take his time out in the middle before opening up but Marcus Trescothick was a stroke-maker par excellence and was particularly known for his tendency to attack the opposition.

Both were equally good against spin bowling and had excellent records both in England and abroad. If Marcus Trescothick's mental health condition had not deteriorated then the pair would have opened the innings in many more Test matches instead of just 52.

Even then, their aggregate of 2670 runs in 52 Tests and an average of 52.35 is an excellent return. Strauss and Trescothick posted century stands on 8 occasions and passed the 50 run mark 12 times.

They are most famous for having been the opening pair in the famous 2005 Ashes triumph in England.

#3 Len Hutton and Cyril Washbrook

According to many, Len Hutton is among the greatest batsmen to have ever played the game and as an opening batsman, he was peerless for the majority of his career.

He formed plenty of superb opening partnerships but the one with Lancastrian Cyril Washbrook proved to be the most prolific.

Washbrook was known for being an attacking batsman and preferred to cut, hook or pull anything that was pitched even marginally short. Along with the technical excellence, he had the game to pounce on anything loose and that made Hutton-Washbrook pairing such a formidable one.

The pair opened 51 times between 1946 and 1951 and clocked an average of 60 runs, which is a superb return. They put on stands in excess of hundred runs on 8 occasions and crossed the 50 run mark 13 times.

#2 Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe

Among the many fine opening batsmen that England have produced, Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe will always figure among the finest. In the last six years of Hobbs' career, he opened the innings with a young Herbert Sutcliffe and created a legendary partnership that is still regarded as one of the greatest ever in cricket history.

Both players were technically superb, had almost all the strokes on the book and most importantly, they could negotiate a venomous pitch.

During the course of 6 seasons from 1924 to 1930, Hobbs and Sutcliffe opened 38 times and aggregated 3249 runs, which remained a record for a long time.

However, what really places them among the world's greatest opening partnerships is the average of 87.81.

They crossed the hundred run mark 15 times and crossed fifty on 10 occasions. That is a staggering return for a pair which only opened the innings 38 times.

#1 Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss

The unfortunate return of Marcus Trescothick from the tour of India back in 2006 opened the door for 21-year-old Alastair Cook and he scored a century on his debut at Nagpur to lay the foundations of the most prolific opening partnership in English cricket history.

Along with Andrew Strauss, who was already an established opener, Cook formed an incredibly solid opening partnership and it coincided with England's rise as one of the best Test teams in the world. Both were incredibly solid batsmen and the left-handed pair revelled in grinding opposition bowlers.

Cook had the technical excellence, the hunger for runs and the ability to play the long innings, while Strauss became a more attacking batsman during the period between 2006 and 2012.

They opened 117 times and scored 4711 runs, at an average of 40.96. The number of century stands was 12, while they crossed the 50 run barrier 18 times.