Gambhir-Sehwag, Hayden-Gilchrist, Rohit-Shikhar, Atapattu-Jayasuriya are some of the most celebrated opening pairs in the world of cricket. The opening pair of any playing XI is one of the most crucial parts of the team. They are trusted to stamp the cornerstone in any innings on which the rest of the batsmen can thrive upon. There have been some legendary opening pairs we have witnessed throughout the history of cricket. Let’s have a look at some of them.
Top 5 opening pairs of all time in cricket
#1 Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly
11 years, 136 innings, and 6,609 runs between them. The duo of Tendulkar-Ganguly was, arguably, the greatest opening combo the world has witnessed. The combination of pure technique and fierce batting gave years of nightmares to the opposition bowlers. The Indian legends stood tall for the ‘Men in Blue’ and made sure that they handed their team a good start. The highest partnership between the ‘Little Master’ and the ‘Dada’ of Indian cricket was 258 runs. They have 21 tons 23 half-centuries between them. Hands down, the best opening duo of all time.
#2 Adam Gilchrist and Mathew Hayden
The tall bulky pair of Gilchrist and Hayden ruled the game of cricket for a long period. Australians were safe with these two batsmen starting the innings for them. They shared a strong bond amongst each other and everything else came naturally to them. Gilchrist and Hayden played side-by-side as openers for 7 years. During that period they scored a total of 5372 runs in 114 innings together. Their highest partnership was 172 runs. They shared 16 centuries and 29 half-centuries between them.
#3 Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes
The era of Greenidge and Haynes is marked as one of the most historic periods in West Indian cricket history. It was often said that “GODs opened for the team of Gods” while referring to this majestic duo. They were a crucial piece of West Indies’ golden era, where the team enjoyed their best period in the game. They played together for 12 years having scored 5150 runs among them in 102 innings. Their highest partnership between them was of unbeaten 192 runs. They have 16 centuries and 24 half-centuries.
#4 Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag are yet other legendary openers from India. They opened together for 12 years and played a total of 93 innings alongside in which they scored 3,919 runs. The highest partnership between them is of 182 runs, They have a total of 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries between them.
#5 Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh
Before Mathew Hayden came into the limelight the pairing of Gilchrist and Waugh carried Australia in the opening department. They played for a total of 4 years and scored 3,853 in 93 innings. The highest partnership stand between the pair is of 206 runs. They have 8 centuries and 20 half-centuries between them.
Also Read: 4 Indian Players Who Captained The Country In Just 1 ODI
