Highest Opening Partnership In Test Cricket

Rishikesh Sharma
|PublishedJul 14, 2023

Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie Added 415 runs in 2008. Photo Credits: ICC

Former South African duo of Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie hold the record for the highest opening partnership in Test cricket. They achieved this feat against Bangladesh on a flat track in Chattogram 15 years ago. Barring exceptions in the recent years, subcontinent pitches are considered to be the best for batting but six out of the 10 best Test opening partnerships have come outside of Asia.

Smith has been one hell of an opener and his name appears thrice in the below mentioned list. Apart from McKenzie, he was part of a couple of huge partnerships with his fellow opener Herschelle Gibbs as well. Other than three South African stands among the Top 10, two are from India, and one each from Australia, New Zealand, England, West Indies and Sri Lanka.

The new West Indies opening duo of Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul added 336 runs for the first wicket against Zimbabwe earlier this year. This is the most recent addition to the list. The pitches have gotten tougher for batting in Tests lately and the result is visible in the table as well.

Indian duo of Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal added 229 runs for the first wicket in the ongoing first Test against West Indies. Not a record-breaking partnership at the highest level, it comes at the seventh position in the list of highest 1st wicket partnerships among Indian batters. That said, this was the highest partnership at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica.

May 01, 2023: “I asked Jaiswal where the power is coming from. Good for him ✅ Good for RR ✅ Good for Indian cricket ✅” – Rohit Sharma pic.twitter.com/ip88Glomzb

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) July 13, 2023