Partnerships are crucial part of batting in any format of cricket. Be it an opening partnership, where the openers need to see off the new ball and build a firm foundation for batters to follow, or a resurgence partnership to steady the ship after losing quick wickets, partnerships are crucial. In this list, we will see some of the biggest partnerships of test cricket. Here are the top 10 biggest partnerships-
1. Kumar Sangakkara & Mahela Jayawardene - 624 runs
It was 1st of the two-match series of the South Africa Tour of Sri Lanka. SA batted first after winning the toss at SSC, Colombo. They didn't make the most of the batting conditions and got bundled out for a paltry 169. Sri Lanka also lost a couple of early wickets when they came to bat, but captain Jayawardene joined Sangakarra in the middle. They together stitched a partnership of 624 runs & Sri Lanka ended up with 756/5d. South Africa, in their 2nd innings, showed some fight but eventually got all-out at 434. SL won the match by an innings & 153 runs.
2. Sanath Jayasuriya & Roshan Mahanama - 576 runs
India toured Sri Lanka in 1997. Batting first, India declared its innings at a gigantic score of 537/8. Sanath Jayasuriya & Marvan Atapattu opened the innings but lost the latter at just 39 runs on the board. Roshan Mahanama comes to the crease to establish a partnership with Jayasuriya. What happened next was written down in the history as the second greatest partnership in the history of Test cricket. With the help of Jayasuriya's 340 runs & Mahanama's 255 runs, Sri Lanka put forward a total of 952/6 on the board. The match ended in a draw.
3. Andrew Jones & Martin Crowe - 467 runs
This third-highest partnership in Tests came at Wellington against Sri Lanka in the second innings of the 1st Test between New Zealand & Sri Lanka in 1991. New Zealand was bowled-out at only 174 runs in the first innings. Trailing behind by 323 runs in the second innings, New Zealand was able to pull off a Draw thanks to the 446 runs partnership between Crowe & Jones for the 3rd-wicket. Jones scored 186 runs in the second innings. Crowe was adjudged the player-of-the-match for his heroics of 299 runs in the second innings.
4. Bill Ponsford and Sir Don Bradman - 451 runs
In the 5th match of The Ashes of 1934, when Australia toured England, Sir Don Bradman (244) and Bill Ponsford (266) together put up a partnership of 451 runs for the 2nd wicket. Australia posted 701 runs on the board. Bradman batted with a strike rate of 90. Even in their 2nd innings, Bradman scored 77 runs with a strike rate of 72. Australia did not enforce follow-on & bowled England out twice to win the match by 562 runs. It was a series decider, so Australia clinched the series with this victory.
5. Mudassar Nazar & Javed Miandad - 451 runs
The arch-rivalry between India & Pakistan is known to all. A rivalry, which has seen the establishment of many milestones. One such milestone came to the fore in a 6-match Test series between the two nations held in Pakistan in 1983. This milestone was in the form of the 5th highest run partnership (451 runs) in the Tests between Javed Miandad & Mudassar Nazar. Miandad's 280* runs & Nazar's 231 runs helped Pakistan score 581/3. Pakistan won the match by handing India a crushing defeat by an innings & 119 runs. Pakistan also sealed the 6-match test series with a 3-0 win.
6. Adam Voges & Shaun Marsh - 449 runs
In a series opener for the West Indies tour of Australia in 2015, Adam Voges (269*) and Shaun Marsh (182) registered their career-best scores and were involved in a record partnership of 449 runs. This partnership helped Australia post a mammoth 1st innings total (583/4d in just 114 overs). West Indies could only manage 223 and 148 runs, following on, & lost the match by an innings and 212 runs.
7. Conrad Hunte & Gary Sobers - 446 runs
Sir Gary Sobers (365) & Conrad Hunte (260) registered a partnership of 446 runs for the 2nd wicket after Pakistan batted first & put up 328 runs on the board. It was the 3rd match of the tour & West Indies were leading the series by 2-0. West Indies posted 790/3 in their 1st innings and bowled out Pakistan for 288 runs in their 2nd innings. WI won the match by an innings & 174 runs & gained an unassailable 3-0 lead in the 5-match series.
8. Marvan Atapattu & Kumar Sangakkara - 438 runs
Sri Lanka toured Zimbabwe in 2004 for a 2-match Test series against Zimbabwe. The series' second match saw the creation of a 438 runs partnership between Marvan Atapattu & Kumar Sangakkara which stands as both the eighth-highest partnership in test cricket history & the fourth-highest partnership for 2nd-wicket in Tests. Sangakkara scored 270 runs, aiding him from the other end was Atapattu, who scored 249 runs. SL won the match by an innings & 254 runs.
9. Mahela Jayawardene & Thilan Samaraweera - 437 runs
It was the 1st match of a 2-match Test series held between Sri Lanka & Pakistan during Sri Lanka's tour of Pakistan in 2009. It was a high-scoring match at the venue of Karachi & runs were being smashed by both the teams. SL won the toss & elected to bat. During this match, Mahela Jayawardene & Thilan Samaraweera formed a partnership of 437 runs. Jayawardene scored his fourth double century (240 runs) & Samaraweera scored his career-best score of 231 runs in the match. The match ended in a draw.
10. Jacques Rudolph & Boeta Dippenaar - 429* runs
South Africa toured Bangladesh in 2003 for a 2-match series. It was the 1st match where Bangladesh won the toss and, with no hesitation, decided to bat first. South Africa bowled brilliantly and winded up Bangladesh for a mere 173. In their batting, South Africa posted 470/2, thanks to the partnership between Jacques Rudolph (222*) & Boeta Dippenaar (177*). Both added 429* runs for 3rd wicket and ensured a lead of 297 runs. Bangladesh could only manage 237 runs in their 2nd innings and lost the match by an innings and 60 runs.
