A team always keeps its best batsmen in the opening slot, but statistically speaking, partnerships for the second wicket have comparatively been better than the first one is test matches. There is no doubt that test cricket has produced some of the world’s most consistent number three batsmen over the last few decades such as Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and others.
They have immensely contributed for their teams in their illustrious career. The world record for highest run partnership for the 2nd wicket in test has been recorded by Sri Lanka in 1997 when the explosive Sanath Jayasuriya and crafty Roshan Mahanama piled a huge 576-run-stand for the 2nd wicket in Colombo.
Highest Second Wicket Partnership in Test Match
|
Batsmen (Team)
|
Runs
|
Against
|
Venue
|
Date
|
|
Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama
(Sri Lanka)
|
576
|
India
|
Colombo
|
02/08/1997
|
|
Donald Bradman and WH Ponsford
(Australia)
|
451
|
England
|
The Oval
|
18/08/1934
|
|
Conrad Hunte and Gary Sobers
(West Indies)
|
446
|
Pakistan
|
Kingston
|
26/02/1958
|
|
Marvan Atapattu and Kumar Sangakkara
(Sri Lanka)
|
438
|
Zimbabwe
|
Bulawayo
|
14/05/2004
|
|
Leonard Hutton and Maurice Leyland
(England)
|
382
|
Australia
|
The Oval
|
20/08/1938
|
|
Chateshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay
(India)
|
370
|
Australia
|
Hyderabad
|
02/03/2013
|
|
Ken Barrington and John Edrich
(England)
|
369
|
New Zealand
|
Leeds
|
08/07/1965
|
|
David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne
(Australia)
|
361
|
Pakistan
|
Adelaide
|
29/11/2019
|
|
Graham Gooch and David Gower
(England)
|
351
|
Australia
|
The Oval
|
29/08/1985
|
|
Sunil Gavaskar and D Vengsarkar
(India)
|
344*
|
West Indies
|
Kolkata
|
29/12/1978
|
|
Chris Gayle & Ramnaresh Sarwan
(West Indies)
|
331
|
South Africa
|
St. John’s
|
29/04/2005
|
Historically speaking, India’s performance for the 2nd wicket partnership had never been so illustrious barring one or two innings. In fact, the first ever plus 300 run partnership for the 2nd wicket came in the year 1978 when the legendary Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar built a huge 344-run stand for this wicket against West Indies in Kolkata.
But in the next 30 years India couldn’t register a single triple century partnership for 2nd wicket. It was in 2008 that Gambhir and Dravid forged a patient 314-run stand against England in Mohali but they couldn’t break Gavaskar-Vengsarkar record. However, Pujara and Vijay finally broke the 35 year old record adding 370-run stand for this wicket against Australia in Mohali.
Nonetheless, this is still counted amongst the sixth highest & India’s best partnership ever recorded between an opener and number three batsman at test matches.
