Top 5 Test opening pairs of all time

Picking the top 5 Test opening pairs of all time is not the easiest of tasks. With every generation, cricket passes through a paradigm shift. Attitudes change, pitches change, style of playing changes; the only thing that has probably not changed is the importance of openers in Test cricket.

Every great side, every side that has reached the No. 1 ICC ranking did so on the back of strong performances from its opening pair.

Runs alone cannot be the parameter or measuring gauge for the best opening pair, considering the number of runs scored is a function of the number of innings. Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss, for example, amassed 4711 runs for England in 117 innings, the third most number of partnership innings for an opening pair and the third highest tally of partnership runs. However, their average is a mediocre 40.96 although they do well away from home.

Similarly, another pair, Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya, added 4469 runs in 118 innings at 40.26, despite playing on quite a few batting-friendly tracks.

If runs is the only consideration, this is the list of the top 5 partnership pairs:

Pair	Innings	Runs	Average	100s	50s
Greenidge/Haynes	148	6482	47.31	16	26
Hayden/Langer	113	5655	51.88	14	24
Cook/Strauss	117	4711	40.96	12	18
Atapattu/Jayasuriya	118	4469	40.26	9	24
Gambhir/Sehwag	87	4412	52.52	11	25

The top 5 partnership pairs in away Tests, where openers face sterner tests:

Pair	Innings	Runs	Average	100s	50s
Greenidge/Haynes	85	2948	35.51	6	12
Hayden/Langer	48	2222	48.3	5	10
Cook/Strauss	45	2070	47.04	7	6
Lawry/Simpson	35	1992	62.25	5	10
Atapattu/Jayasuriya	50	1840	39.14	4	10

List of top 5 partnership pairs in terms of away average. (Qualification: 1000 away runs)

Pair	Innings	Runs	Average	100s	50s
Hobbs/Sutcliffe (Eng)	15	1202	80.13	6	2
McKenzie/Smith (SA)	21	1436	75.57	4	7
Hobbs/Rhodes (Eng)	28	1809	67	6	5
AF Rae/Stollmeyer (WI)	19	1204	66.88	4	3
Lawry/Simpson (Aus)	35	1992	62.25	5	10

To decide on a list of the top 5 greatest Test opening pairs, we have given a higher preference to pairs who got the job done by scoring bucket-loads of runs while ticking three other boxes:

• # High averages
• # High percentage of fifty-plus partnerships
• # Good performances away from home

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  #1 Jack Hobbs/Herbert Sutcliffe (England)

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  England’s Hobbs and Sutcliffe

  On the list of prolific opening pairs, Hobbs and Sutcliffe are 8^th but they are probably the best opening pair the game has seen because they top the averages, both at home and away. More importantly, the duo had 25 fifty-plus partnerships in just 38 innings, roughly one every 1.5 innings showing how they rarely failed.
• They maintained the same level of consistency away as well, which is what a great opening pair is expected to do at all times. The pair were prolific all through their partnership and the most number of innings that they’ve gone without a century partnership was 4, which happened twice.

Innings	Runs	Average	Away average	100s	50s
38	3249	87.81	80.13	15	10

#2 Bill Lawry/ Bob Simpson (Australia)

Australia’s prolific pair was a paradox. Their average away is higher, albeit marginally, than their home average. They have 15 fifty-plus partnerships in 35 away innings and 27 in 62 innings overall, showing they gave their best under more alien conditions.

Their highest partnership is a whopping 382, which is also the highest for all opening pairs with more than 2000 Test partnership runs. They registered century partnerships in Australia, England, West Indies, India and South Africa, proving their mettle and their versatility.

Innings	Runs	Average	Away average	100s	50s
62	3596	60.94	62.25	9	18

#3 Matthew Hayden/Justin Langer (Australia)

Two players with different styles of batting

The opening pair in Steve Waugh’s invincible team was a great blend of attack and defence. They started their partnership with a bang, with scores of 158, 224 and 223 against England and the New Zealand.

They had 6 double-century partnerships and their leanest period was in the end when they went 12 Tests without a single century partnership. Nevertheless, they managed an excellent away average of 48.30, which is quite tough in modern-day cricket. Hayden and Langer have 38 fifty-plus partnerships in 113 innings, roughly one every three innings, which highlights their consistency.

Innings	Runs	Average	Away average	100s	50s
113	5655	51.88	48.3	14	24

#4 Gordon Greenidge/Desmond Haynes (West Indies)

The pair were excellent at home but struggled to perform in away games

The feared West Indian pair loses some points because of its lower average away from home but they more than make up for it with the tons of runs they scored together at home against all sides. It is hard to beat the tally of this dynamic pair, which combined skill and power.

They have 42 fifty-plus partnerships, close to one every three innings. Interestingly, of all the pairs with more than 1000 away runs, Greenidge and Haynes have the lowest average away, which is hard to understand considering how good the pair was against pace as well as against spin. Nevertheless, the pair struck terror in the hearts of bowlers with 4 double-century partnerships. They have at least one century partnership in Australia, England, New Zealand and India.

Innings	Runs	Average	Away average	100s	50s
148	6482	47.31	35.51	16	26

#5 Herschelle Gibbs/Graeme Smith (South Africa)

Smith and Gibbs had an average of over 50

The pair is not as celebrated as some of the other opening pairs and yet between 2002-2008, the duo was quietly efficient, helping South Africa build a great reputation at home and away. They were prolific at home and equally good away, which is evident from their 50+ away average.

The duo has three triple century opening partnerships, almost unheard of in contemporary cricket. The only blip is the absence of data from down under in Australia. That would have been ideal to place them among the pantheon of greats. Nevertheless, they managed enough to make an appearance on this list.

Innings	Runs	Average	Away average	100s	50s
56	2983	56.28	53.85	7	10

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Honourable Mention: Gautam Gambhir/Virender Sehwag

The left and right hand combination worked wonders for India at the top of the order

India’s best Test opening pair, a perfect combination of attack and defence, left and right hand and great running between the wickets, Gambhir and Sehwag set up many a Test victory for India. The duo placed fifth in the all-time highest partnership tallies, has the highest average amongst the top five pairs.

Away from home, they have a respectable average of 42.47. The highlight of their partnership is the 36 fifty-plus scores they amassed in just 87 innings, one almost every 2.5 innings, far more efficient than most contemporary pairs. Their only blip is their poor performance in Australia, which brings them down in this list. Despite that, thanks to their average and overall tally they deserve a mention here.

Innings	Runs	Average	Away average	100s	50s
87	4412	52.52	42.47	11	25

A quiet mention should also be made of the other Indian opening pair of Chetan Chauhan and Sunil Gavaskar. They amassed 3010 runs at 53.15 with 10 century and 10 half-century partnerships in 59 innings with an away average, equally good – 53.60. However, they were not tested in West Indies. Other than that, they were absolutely top-class for India between 1973-1981.