IND vs SA: Top opening partnerships in Test cricket

Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal talk during the second day's play of the first Test match between India and South Africa at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Pic/AFP

A solid opening partnership can break the opponent team's back and more often than not, win matches. Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal opened for India in the first Test against South Africa at Vishakhapatnam and created a record partnership. The opening pair scored a mammoth 317 runs before Rohit Sharma fell to a flighted delivery by South African left-arm off-spinner Keshav Maharaj.

We wondered where Sharma and Agarwal's partnership ranked in the list of highest opening wicket partnerships and after a little bit of number crunching, we found out that the partnership ranks 12th on the overall list.

The highest ever opening partnership in Test cricket belongs to Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith. The pair amassed 415 runs for the first wicket in a 2008 match against Bangladesh on 29th February, 2008.

When it comes to highest partnerships by Indians, Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy hold the record. The pair amassed 413 against New Zealand on 6th January, 1956. Sharma and Agarwal's partnership comes third on this list.

Top 5 overall opening partnerships

• Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith (South Africa) - 415 runs against Bangladesh
• Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy (India) - 413 runs against New Zealand
• Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid (India) - 410 runs against Pakistan
• Glenn Turner and Terry Jarvis (New Zealand) - 387 runs against West Indies
• Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson (Australia) - 382 runs against West Indies

Top 5 Indian opening partnerships

• Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy (India) - 413 runs against New Zealand
• Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid (India) - 410 runs against Pakistan
• Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma (India) - 317 runs against South Africa
• Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan (India) - 289 runs against Australia
• Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan (India) - 283 runs against Bangladesh

We must applaud this achievement as across the world, opening batsmen have struggled in recent years. England's never-ending search for a solid opening pair has resulted in a string of batsmen trying their luck. Australia's David Warner recently had a nightmarish Ashes tour. Let's hope that Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal can produce such partnerships on a consistent level. After all, a single swallow doesn't make an English summer.

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