Highest Test partnerships by Indians in Australia

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For a long time, it was an established fact that the Indian cricket team are not the best travellers in the business and although they have improved their record significantly over the past two decades, some things haven’t changed. For instance, they are yet to win a Test series in Australia and over the course of the country’s cricketing history, barring a few exceptions, most Indian teams have struggled to play to their full potential.

The trend has probably changed over the past decade and a half, but it has not yet seen India register a series win. At one point of time, the pace and bounce on Australian pitches used to be a major problem for Indian batsmen and they struggled to put bat to ball in the initial part of the series.

However, it cannot be denied that Indian batsmen have also delivered outstanding performances in Australia from time to time and have done so in pairs. Here is a look at 5 of the biggest partnerships by Indian batsmen in Australia.


#5 196 runs 5th wicket stand between Ravi Shastri and Sachin Tendulkar at Sydney, 1992

Inaugural Test Match  -  Zimbabwe v India
Ravi Shastri (file photo)

After having lost the 1st two Tests matches, India gave a far better account of themselves in the 3rd Test in Sydney during the 1991-92 tour of Australia. After Australia had been dismissed for 313, India’s batsmen came good and things were looking good at 197 for 2 when they lost two quick wickets to be reduced to 201 for 4. That’s when teenaged Sachin Tendulkar came together with Ravi Shastri, who had opened in that Test and was well set at the time.

The two of them took the fight to the Australian bowling attack fronted by Craig McDermott, Bruce Reid, Merv Hughes and the debutante Shane Warne. They added 196 runs for the 5th wicket in lightning quick time and much of that had to do with the scintillating stroke-play of Tendulkar. Shastri got out after scoring an epic 206 and the partnership ended with the score at 397. Tendulkar went on to make 148 as India made 483. With a 1st innings lead of 170, India gave Australia a mighty scare and had them at 173 for 8, when the match was called off as a draw.

#4 224 runs 2nd wicket stand between Sunil Gavaskar and Mohinder Amarnath at Sydney, 1986

Lavinia Duchess Of Norfolk's XI v The Rest Of The World
Sunil Gavaskar

During the 1985-86 tour to Australia, India came close to winning the series as the hosts narrowly drew two games and one of those was in Sydney. India batter first and their top order had the Australians on the mat from the start. Openers Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth enjoyed a 191-run opening stand before the latter got out after scoring a blistering 116 off just 117 balls.

However, the punishment for Australia wasn’t over as Mohinder Amarnath joined Gavaskar and then the two proceeded to grind the hosts to the ground. The pair added 224 runs for the 2nd wicket to lay the platform for a huge Indian score and the partnership ended after Gavaskar got out for 172. Amarnath went on to make 138 and India eventually declared for 600. Australia had to follow on after being dismissed for 396 and then held on grimly for a draw in their 2nd innings.

#3 262 runs 4th wicket stand between Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane at Melbourne, 2014

CRICKET-AUS-IND
Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have a word with Mitchell Johnson

This Test match was a run-fest of epic proportions but after Australia had made 530, India looked in a bit of trouble at 147 for 3. That is when a well set Virat Kohli was joined at the crease by Ajinkya Rahane and the duo put the Australian bowlers to the sword in a partnership that saw them add 262 runs in just over 57 overs. Both Kohli and Rahane flayed the Australian bowlers consisting of Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Josh Hazlewood to all corners of the Melbourne Cricket Ground as they brought India out of trouble.

India’s number 5 Rahane was in particularly superb form as he hit 21 fours in his innings to score 147 off only 171 deliveries and the partnership ended after he was trapped leg before by Nathan Lyon. Kohli went on to make 169 and India ended up making 465 to ensure that the match was safe for India. The game predictably ended in a draw.

#2 303 runs stand between Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman at Adelaide, 2003

India v West Indies: 2nd Test Day 1
Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman (file photo)

Their epic partnership at Eden Gardens brought India back from the dead in that historic series in 2001 and on their visit to Australia in 2003, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman repeated that feat at Adelaide. After Australia had made 556 in their 1st innings, it seemed that the game was only ever going to one way and India’s best hope was perhaps playing for a draw. However, India’s 1st innings was in trouble soon as they slumped from 81 for 1 to 85 for 4 on the 2nd day and it seemed that they were heading for an innings defeat.

However, VVS Laxman then got together with Dravid and the two enjoyed another outstanding partnership to knock the stuffing out of the Australian bowling attack. Laxman made a superb 148 and the pair added 303 in just under 94 overs as India found a foothold in the game. Dravid went on to make 233 as India finished on 523. In Australia’s 2nd innings, Ajit Agarkar took 6 wickets to dismiss the hosts for 196 and in a tense chase, Dravid made an unbeaten 72 to help India record another outstanding win over Australia.

#1 353 runs 4th wicket stand between Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman at Sydney, 2004

India v CA Chairman's XI - Day 2
Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman (file photo)

The 2003-04 remains one of India’s most memorable trips to the country, due to the way in which the team competed with the hosts and in the last Test at Sydney, they completely dominated the game. India batted first and the top order laid a nice platform when VVS Laxman came in to join Sachin Tendulkar with the score at 194 for 3.

Tendulkar had got out by trying to play offside strokes throughout the series and in this game, he decided to completely avoid playing shots on that side of the wicket. Instead, all his runs came on the onside and with Laxman as his partner, the two batsmen gave the Australian bowlers no chances at all.

Laxman made 178 in 298 deliveries and hit as many as 30 boundaries. The paid added 353 runs for the 5th wicket and by the time Laxman departed, India had made 547. Tendulkar went on to make an unbeaten 241 and India eventually declared for a mammoth 705 runs.

The match ended in a draw but India did have the chance to win the game after they had reduced Australia to 342 for 6 in the last evening.

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Edited by Vignesh Ananthasubramanian