Highest Partnerships In Test Cricket History (2024 List)

Test cricket, the longest format of the game, has seen some amazing partnerships between batsmen. This article looks at the highest partnerships in Test cricket, highlighting some of the greatest moments when batsmen worked together to set new records. These partnerships show the skill, teamwork, and patience needed to succeed in this challenging format

What Is The Highest Partnership In Test Cricket?

Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka forged the highest partnership in Test cricket history. The duo put on a mammoth 624 runs for the third wicket against South Africa in Colombo in 2006. 

This epic stand not only set a new world record but also highlighted the dominance of these two Sri Lankan batting legends.

Highest Partnerships For Any Wickets In Test

The following table presents the top 20 partnerships for any wicket in Test cricket:

No.	Partners	Runs	Wkt	Team	Opposition	Match Date
1	KC Sangakkara, DPMD Jayawardene	624	3rd	Sri Lanka	v South Africa	27 Jul 2006
2	RS Mahanama, ST Jayasuriya	576	2nd	Sri Lanka	v India	2 Aug 1997
3	AH Jones, MD Crowe	467	3rd	New Zealand	v Sri Lanka	31 Jan 1991
4	JE Root, HC Brook	454	4th	England	v Pakistan	7 Oct 2024
5	WH Ponsford, DG Bradman	451	2nd	Australia	v England	18 Aug 1934
6	Mudassar Nazar, Javed Miandad	451	3rd	Pakistan	v India	14 Jan 1983
7	AC Voges, SE Marsh	449	4th	Australia	v West Indies	10 Dec 2015
8	GS Sobers, CC Hunte	446	2nd	West Indies	v Pakistan	26 Feb 1958
9	KC Sangakkara, MS Atapattu	438	2nd	Sri Lanka	v Zimbabwe	14 May 2004
10	TT Samaraweera, DPMD Jayawardene	437	4th	Sri Lanka	v Pakistan	21 Feb 2009
11	JA Rudolph, HH Dippenaar	429*	3rd	South Africa	v Bangladesh	24 Apr 2003
12	GC Smith, ND McKenzie	415	1st	South Africa	v Bangladesh	29 Feb 2008
13	P Roy, MH Mankad	413	1st	India	v New Zealand	6 Jan 1956
14	PBH May, MC Cowdrey	411	4th	England	v West Indies	30 May 1957
15	V Sehwag, R Dravid	410	1st	India	v Pakistan	13 Jan 2006
16	DG Bradman, SG Barnes	405	5th	Australia	v England	13 Dec 1946
17	FMM Worrell, GS Sobers	399	4th	West Indies	v England	6 Jan 1960
18	BA Stokes, JM Bairstow	399	6th	England	v South Africa	2 Jan 2016
19	Qasim Umar, Javed Miandad	397	3rd	Pakistan	v Sri Lanka	16 Oct 1985
20	WH Ponsford, DG Bradman	388	4th	Australia	v England	20 Jul 1934
21	GM Turner, TW Jarvis	387	1st	New Zealand	v West Indies	6 Apr 1972
22	RT Ponting, MJ Clarke	386	4th	Australia	v India	24 Jan 2012
23	SR Waugh, GS Blewett	385	5th	Australia	v South Africa	28 Feb 1997
24	M Leyland, L Hutton	382	2nd	England	v Australia	20 Aug 1938
25	RB Simpson, WM Lawry	382	1st	Australia	v West Indies	5 May 1965
26	JH Kallis, HM Amla	377*	3rd	South Africa	v England	19 Jul 2012
27	VVS Laxman, R Dravid	376	5th	India	v Australia	11 Mar 2001
28	WJ Edrich, DCS Compton	370	3rd	England	v South Africa	21 Jun 1947
29	M Vijay, CA Pujara	370	2nd	India	v Australia	2 Mar 2013
30	JH Edrich, KF Barrington	369	2nd	England	v New Zealand	8 Jul 1965
31	KS Williamson, HM Nicholls	369	4th	New Zealand	v Pakistan	3 Jan 2021
32	GC Smith, HH Gibbs	368	1st	South Africa	v Pakistan	2 Jan 2003
33	KS Williamson, BJ Watling	365*	6th	New Zealand	v Sri Lanka	3 Jan 2015
34	AM Rahane, V Kohli	365	4th	India	v New Zealand	8 Oct 2016
35	Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf	363	3rd	Pakistan	v England	4 Aug 2006
36	KS Williamson, HM Nicholls	363	3rd	New Zealand	v Sri Lanka	17 Mar 2023
37	DA Warner, M Labuschagne	361	2nd	Australia	v Pakistan	29 Nov 2019
38	C Washbrook, L Hutton	359	1st	England	v South Africa	27 Dec 1948
39	Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim	359	5th	Bangladesh	v New Zealand	12 Jan 2017
40	Z Crawley, JC Buttler	359	5th	England	v Pakistan	21 Aug 2020

Highest Partnerships By Wicket In Test

Here’s a breakdown of the highest partnerships for each wicket in Test cricket:

Wicket	Players	Runs	Team	Opposition	Date
1st	Smith & McKenzie	415	South Africa	Bangladesh	Feb 2008
2nd	Jayasuriya & Mahanama	576	Sri Lanka	India	Aug 1997
3rd	Sangakkara & Jayawardene	624	Sri Lanka	South Africa	Jul 2006
4th	Root & Brook	454	England	Pakistan	Oct 2024
5th	Bradman & Barnes	405	Australia	England	Dec 1946
6th	Stokes & Bairstow	399	England	South Africa	Jan 2016
7th	Depeiza & Atkinson	347	West Indies	Australia	May 1955
8th	Trott & Broad	332	England	Pakistan	Aug 2010
9th	Symcox & Boucher	195	South Africa	Pakistan	Feb 1998
10th	Root & Anderson	198	England	India	Jul 2014

Recent Addition To The List

The cricketing world recently witnessed a spectacular addition to this illustrious list of partnerships. On 10 October 2024, during the first Test match between England and Pakistan in Multan, Joe Root and Harry Brook etched their names in cricket history. The duo put on a remarkable 454-run partnership for the fourth wicket, setting a new record for England in Test cricket.

Root, already an established batting maestro, scored a career-best 262 off 375 balls. His inning was a masterclass in Test batting, featuring 17 boundaries and showcasing his ability to dominate bowlers over long periods. This inning also made him the leading test scorer for England. 

Harry Brook, on the other hand, announced his arrival on the big stage in grand style. The young batsman reached his maiden triple century, becoming only the sixth England batter to achieve this feat in Test cricket. 

Brook’s explosive 317 came off just 322 balls, including three sixes and 29 boundaries. His triple century was the second-fastest in Test cricket history, falling just short of Virender Sehwag’s record of 278 balls against South Africa in 2008.

This partnership not only broke England’s previous record but also became the fourth-highest partnership in the history of Test cricket. It surpassed the long-standing record against Pakistan set by West Indies legends Conrad Hunte and Garry Sobers, who put on 446 runs in Kingston back in 1958.

Root and Brook’s partnership was a perfect blend of experience and youthful exuberance. Their stand helped England post a mammoth total of 823 for 7 declared in their first innings in response to Pakistan’s 556. This batting display showcased the depth and talent in the current England Test squad and set the tone for an exciting series.

Conclusion

The highest partnerships in Test cricket serve as a benchmark for batting excellence and teamwork. From the record-breaking stand of Sangakkara and Jayawardene to the recent heroics of Root and Brook, these partnerships have left an indelible mark on the sport. They showcase individual brilliance and highlight the importance of building long, sustained partnerships in the longest format of the game.

Root and Brook’s recent performance demonstrates that even in an era of fast-paced cricket, the art of building massive partnerships in Test matches is still alive and well.

These partnerships not only shape the outcome of matches but also create lasting memories for cricket fans worldwide. They remind us of the beauty of Test cricket – a format that allows for such epic displays of skill, concentration, and endurance.