Cricket Partnership Records: Highest Stands in Test and ODI Cricket
The greatest batting partnerships in cricket history — the highest Test stands, the famous ODI partnerships, and the records that define team batting excellence.
What Is a Partnership?
A batting partnership is the runs scored between two batters while they are both at the wicket together. Partnerships are recorded for each wicket — the first-wicket partnership is between the two openers; the second-wicket partnership begins when the first batter is dismissed, and so on. A match can only have a maximum of 10 partnerships per innings (since 11 batters bat, 10 wickets must fall).
The Highest Test Partnership: 624
The world record Test partnership is 624 runs for the third wicket — made by Mahela Jayawardene (374) and Kumar Sangakkara (287) for Sri Lanka against South Africa at the SSC, Colombo in 2006. The partnership lasted 1,035 minutes — over two and a half days of cricket. Both batters scored individual records during it (Jayawardene's was also the highest individual Test score at that time, before Lara's 400* eclipsed it — though the partnership record stands independently).
Laxman and Dravid: 376 at Kolkata
VVS Laxman (281*) and Rahul Dravid (180) shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 376 runs at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in 2001 — the most famous partnership in Indian cricket history. Made in a follow-on situation against Australia, the stand is widely considered the partnership that 'saved' Indian cricket from Australia's dominance and redefined what was possible in fourth-innings cricket.
Highest ODI Partnerships
The highest partnership in ODI cricket is 331 — between Rohit Sharma (264*) and Shikhar Dhawan (100) for India against Sri Lanka in November 2014. This is also associated with Rohit's record individual ODI score of 264*. Other notable ODI partnership records include Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly's many century opening stands, which defined India's ODI batting era from 1996 to 2007.
Hutton and Leyland: Ashes Partnership Record
Len Hutton (364) and Maurie Leyland shared a 382-run second-wicket partnership for England against Australia at The Oval in 1938 — part of England's world-record 903/7d total. This remains the highest partnership in Ashes Test history.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest partnership in Test cricket?
The highest Test partnership is 624 runs for the third wicket by Mahela Jayawardene (374) and Kumar Sangakkara (287) for Sri Lanka against South Africa in 2006.
What is the most famous partnership in Indian cricket?
VVS Laxman (281*) and Rahul Dravid (180) sharing 376 for the fifth wicket in India's famous follow-on reversal against Australia at Kolkata in 2001 is widely considered India's most famous partnership.
What is the highest partnership in ODI cricket?
The highest ODI partnership is 331 runs between Rohit Sharma (264*) and Shikhar Dhawan (100) for India vs Sri Lanka in 2014.