We all know how good Sachin Tendulkar was in cricket. Before the introduction of T20 cricket, Sachin had basically owned ODI and Test cricket with his unmatched stats. However, many still wonder how good his partnership records were. His individual records are incomparable but how good were his partnership records compared to the rest?
Here we look at the all-time greatest partnership in ODI cricket. You will be surprised to see some of the names here.
No. 5: Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden: 5,409 runs
The most iconic southpaw duo to grace the cricket world was Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden. These two were known for their aggressive batting and prolificness. Two of Australia’s greatest openers of all time, Gilchrist and Hayden played together in 117 innings in eight years of playing together and scored 5,409 runs, averaging 47.44. With 16 100+ runs and the joint highest of 29 50+ runs between the two, this is the greatest batting partnership to come out of Australia in their entire history.
No. 4: Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya: 5,462 runs
Two of Sri Lanka’s longest-serving players, Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya, were once a fearsome pair in ODI cricket. While Atapattu was considered one of the most technically sound batters in his era, Jayasuriya was known for his explosive batting which revolutionised ODI cricket. The two Sri Lankan legends have played 144 innings together and have scored 5,462 runs in nearly a decade.
Their best partnership came against Australia in 2003 when Jayasuriya, donning the captain’s armband, smashed 122 and Atapattu scored 101. Both batters recorded a partnership of 237, which was the second highest opening partnership in ODI history at that time.
No.3: Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara: 5,475 runs
Yet another pair from Sri Lanka makes its way into this list with two of their most popular players and former captains Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara. They are two of the most revered batters in cricket history. While Dilshan is regarded as Sri Lanka’s all-time greatest in ODI run chases, Sangakkara is regarded as one of the GOATs of the sport. It was a joy to watch every time these two would come and bat together. Having played together for 15 years, these two have formed partnerships in 108 innings, scoring 5,475 runs and averaging 53.67.
The two have 20 100+ runs and 19 50+ runs between them. Their best partnership came against Bangladesh in 2015 in a match full of milestone achievements. Sangakkara made his 400th ODI a memorable one by completing his 22nd ton, scoring 105*, as Sri Lanka became the only side to lose just one wicket in 50 overs, twice. Dilshan, on the other hand, scored his career-high of 161*. Both batters had a partnership of 210* before the innings ended.
No. 2: Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara: 5,992 runs
Here is Kumar Sangakkara once again in the top five ODI partnerships of all time. This time, it is with Sri Lanka’s most successful captain of all time, Mahela Jayawardene. It should not come as a surprise that three of the world’s best partnerships come from Sri Lanka, given their roster from the previous generation. Nonetheless, this partnership between the two former captains of the Lions is the best to come out of the island nation. Jayawardene and Sangakkara have scored a whopping 5,992 runs in 151 innings after playing together for 15 years. Averaging at 41.61, the two have scored a combined 15 tons and 32 fifties while playing together.
No.1: Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly: 8,227 runs
Yes, you read it right. Over 8,000 runs between the two Indian legends. To answer the question of whether Sachin Tendulkar has any partnership records, he owns the record of the highest overall partnership runs in ODI history. And he does it with none other than the ‘Maharaja of Indian Cricket’, Sourav Ganguly. Having played together in 176 innings, Sachin and Ganguly have amassed 8,227 runs, most by any batting partnership by a colossal margin. Averaging at 47.55, the two have the most 100+ runs partnership in ODI history, doing it a whopping 26 times. They also have the joint-highest of most 50+ runs, tied with Gilchrist and Hayden.
Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly registered their best-ever partnership against Kenya in 2001, where the two opened for India. While Ganguly scored 111 off 124 balls, Sachin scored 146 off 132, just four runs shy of 150. Their partnership of 258 runs was the highest opening partnership in ODI history at that time and remained unbeaten until 2006.
Also Read: India vs South Africa 1st T20I Review: Convincing Win for India
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