Hi folks! We all have a fancy for statistics, don’t we? Don’t you constantly keep an eye on the ICC rankings to see whether our very own Virat is at the top of the pile among ODI batsmen, or whether Ravindra Jadeja is among the best all-rounders in the world? To satiate our hunger for these statistics, SPORTZWIKI presents to you an all-new section ‘STATS’ in which we would cover the most interesting stats in the cricketing world.
Today, we look at Most No. of century partnerships in International Cricket. A partnership is not just about compiling runs collectively as a pair, it is about the trust you have in your partner and their ability, it is about moulding your game according to the situation of the match, and so often comes down how a batsman reacts to the partner, and SPORTZWIKI’s Most No. of century partnerships in International Cricket recognises those pairs who have produced the brightest spark in international cricket.
10. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara – 20
Along with Jayawardene, Dilshan and Sangakkara have formed the backbone of the Sri Lankan batting and the runs and partnerships they have stitched as a combination have helped the island nation carve a niche for themselves as one of the most consistent teams across all formats.
9. Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden – 20
There is no other opening combination in ODI cricket which has been as devastating and destructive as that of Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden. Ruthless, explosive and unfussy in their stroke play, Gilchrist and Hayden have been the pillars of Australia‘s successes in the last decade.
8. Richie Richardson and Desmond Haynes – 20
Richardson and Haynes were a formidable batting pair in their prime – the pair registered as many as 20 century stands, their highest ever coming against Australia at Georgetown for the 2nd wicket, a massive 297 which is also the 3rd highest partnership for the 2nd wicket in West Indies history.
7. Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid – 21
Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid‘s careers have so often mirrored each other. Both men started out in international cricket in the same test match and have been pillars of the Indian team for a very successful period in our cricket history. With 21 century stands between them, Dravid and Ganguly take the 7th spot in SPORTZWIKI’s Most No. of century partnerships in International Cricket.
6. Marvan Attapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya – 23
One of the most underrated opening pertnerships in the game, Marvan Attapattu was the ideal complement for the prolific Sanath Jayasuriya, Attapattu’s calm ensured he was the perfect understudy to Jayasuriya’s glamorous and flamboyant game.
5. Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting – 26
Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting were involved in so many great partnerships in their time. In just 76 innings in test matches, the pair added 4765 runs at an average of 67.11 with 16 century partnerships as well as 22 half-century stands. Put things into perspective, that is a partnerhip above 50 every second time they came together at the crease. Talk about consistency!
4. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid – 31
Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are the most successful opening combination in the history of test cricket, having stitched 6920 runs as a pair with 20 century partnerships. India’s leading pair in the longer format, some of India’s greatest success have come when Dravid and Sachin have got a partnership going.
3. Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes – 31
Two of the greatest batsmen in the history of the sport, Greenidge and Haynes formed a formidable partnership that guided the West Indies side of the 70s and 80s to huge success. Career highlights for the pair included a double-double century performances from Greenidge in the ‘Blackwash’ in England, and a highest test score of 184 for Haynes in the same series.
2. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene – 32
The spine of the Sri Lankan batting, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have been great servants for their nation and have managed to forge one of the most feared partnerships in the modern day game. With 32 century stands, Sangakkara and Jayawardene claim the 2nd place in SPORTZWIKI’s Most No. of century partnerships in International Cricket.
1. Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly – 38
Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly‘s partnership will be forever remembered as the most successful and entertaining opening combination in the game’s history. The right hand left hand combination seemed to work wonders and the understanding they grew as a pair remains unmatched in our cricket history.