Highest 5th Wicket Partnership in Test

The highest 5th wicket partnership in test refers to the record breaking achievement of two batsmen who have scored the highest number of runs together for the fifth wicket in a single innings. 

This record is significant as it showcases the resilience and skill of the batsmen who managed to build a strong partnership even after the team has lost four wickets.

How to Form a Highest 5th Wicket Partnership in Test

Solid Batting Technique:

Both batsmen should have a solid and reliable batting technique. This includes a good defensive technique to handle challenging deliveries and an array of shots to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

Communication and Understanding:

Effective communication between the batsmen is crucial. Understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Clear communication helps in avoiding misunderstandings, ensures proper shot selection, and helps in running between the wickets.

Adapt to Conditions:

Assess the playing conditions, pitch, and weather. Adapt your game accordingly. In challenging conditions, a more cautious approach might be necessary, while on a batting-friendly pitch, batsmen can be more expansive.

Patience and Selective Aggression:

Test cricket demands patience. Batsmen should be prepared to face challenging periods without taking unnecessary risks. However, there are times when selective aggression is required to capitalize on loose deliveries and scoring opportunities.

Shot Selection:

Choose shots wisely based on the merit of the ball. Avoid unnecessary risks, especially early in the partnership. Focus on playing the ball on its merits and wait for scoring opportunities.

Rotate Strike:

Keep the scoreboard ticking by rotating the strike. Singles and twos not only add runs but also help in breaking the rhythm of the bowlers. This can relieve pressure and create scoring opportunities.

Individual Roles:

To make strong partnerships, each batsman should understand their role in the partnership. One might play a more defensive role, holding an end, while the other takes on a more aggressive role. Roles can switch based on form and situation.

Build a Platform:

Initially, focus on building a solid platform. Consolidate the innings, and as the partnership grows, gradually look to score more freely.

Team Situation:

Understand the team situation and play accordingly. If the team is in a strong position, consolidating the advantage is crucial. If the team is under pressure, the partnership might need to be more proactive in scoring.

Fitness and Endurance:

Test matches can be physically demanding. Ensure both batsmen are physically fit and have the endurance to bat for extended periods.

Highest 5th Wicket Partnership in Test | Top 10

10. Brian Lara, Jimmy Adams – 322  Runs Partnership:

In Kingston on March 13, 1999, Brian Lara and Jimmy Adams combined forces for West Indies against Australia. Australia posted scores of 256 and 177, while West Indies chased down the target of 3/0, securing a convincing 10-wicket victory. 

This partnership showcased the batting prowess of Lara and Adams, contributing to a memorable West Indies win.

9. Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting – 327 Runs Partnership:

At Perth on November 26, 1999, Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting’s partnership contributed significantly to Australia’s innings victory against Pakistan. 

Pakistan posted scores of 155 and 276, while Australia declared at 451, securing a win by an innings and 20 runs.

8. Allan Border, Steve Waugh – 332 Runs* Partnership:

In a Test match at Leeds on July 22, 1993, Allan Border and Steve Waugh’s unbroken 332-run partnership for Australia against England was instrumental in their comprehensive victory. 

Australia declared at 653/4, and England, following on, managed scores of 200 and 305. The match concluded with Australia winning by an innings and 148 runs.

7. Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey – 334 Runs* Partnership:

At Sydney on January 3, 2012, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey’s unbeaten 334-run partnership for Australia against India played a crucial role in their team’s victory. 

India posted scores of 191 and 400, while Australia declared at 659/4. The match ended with Australia winning by an innings and 68 runs.

6. Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers – 338 Runs Partnership:

In a Test match against Pakistan at Dubai (DSC) on October 23, 2013, Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers played pivotal roles for South Africa. 

Pakistan struggled, posting scores of 99 and 326. In response, South Africa declared at 517, securing an emphatic victory by an innings and 92 runs.

5. Zak Crawley, Jos Buttler – 359 Runs Partnership:

The partnership between Zak Crawley and Jos Buttler for England against Pakistan at Southampton on August 21, 2020, resulted in a drawn match. 

England declared at 583/8, and Pakistan, following on, managed scores of 273 and 187/4. 

The resilience displayed by Pakistan in the second innings denied England a win, emphasizing the significance of partnerships in saving matches.

4. Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim – 359 Runs Partnership:

In a Test match against New Zealand at Wellington on January 12, 2017, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim put up a valiant effort for Bangladesh. 

Bangladesh declared at 595/8 and 160. New Zealand, however, emerged victorious by 7 wickets, chasing the target of 217/3. 

Despite the loss, Shakib and Rahim’s partnership showcased Bangladesh’s growing competitiveness in Test cricket.

3. VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid – 376 Runs Partnership:

At Eden Gardens on March 11, 2001, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid orchestrated one of the most iconic comebacks in Test cricket for India against Australia. 

After Australia set a challenging target with scores of 445 and 212, India faced follow-on at 171. 

However, Laxman and Dravid’s stellar partnership, contributing to a total of 657/7 declared, turned the tide. 

India ultimately won the match by 171 runs, marking it as one of the greatest Test victories.

2. Steve Waugh, Greg Blewett – 385 Runs Partnership:

On February 28, 1997, at Johannesburg, Steve Waugh and Greg Blewett etched their names in cricket history with a remarkable 385-run partnership for Australia against South Africa. 

The South African team struggled, posting scores of 302 and 130. In contrast, Australia declared at a commanding 628/8. 

The match ended with Australia winning by an innings and 196 runs, a testament to the batting prowess displayed by Waugh and Blewett.

1. Sid Barnes, Don Bradman – 405 Runs Partnership:

In a historic encounter at Sydney on December 13, 1946, Sid Barnes and Don Bradman orchestrated a phenomenal 405-run partnership for Australia against England. 

The English team, batting first, managed scores of 255 and 371. In response, Australia dominated with a colossal 659/8 declared. 

The match concluded with Australia securing a resounding victory by an innings and 33 runs, underlining the sheer dominance of Barnes and Bradman in that memorable Test.

List of All the Highest 5th Wicket Partnerships in Test Cricket History

Sr. No.	Partners	Runs	Team	Opposition	Ground	Match Date
1	Sid Barnes, Don Bradman	405	Australia	v England	Sydney	13-Dec-46
2	Steve Waugh, Greg Blewett	385	Australia	v South Africa	Johannesburg	28-Feb-97
3	VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid	376	India	v Australia	Eden Gardens	11-Mar-01
4	Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim	359	Bangladesh	v New Zealand	Wellington	12-Jan-17
5	Zak Crawley, Jos Buttler	359	England	v Pakistan	Southampton	21-Aug-20
6	Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers	338	South Africa	v Pakistan	Dubai (DSC)	23-Oct-13
7	Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey	334*	Australia	v India	Sydney	3-Jan-12
8	Allan Border, Steve Waugh	332*	Australia	v England	Leeds	22-Jul-93
9	Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting	327	Australia	v Pakistan	Perth	26-Nov-99
10	Brian Lara, Jimmy Adams	322	West Indies	v Australia	Kingston	13-Mar-99
11	Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman	303	India	v Australia	Adelaide	12-Dec-03
12	SPD Smith, MR Marsh	301	Australia	v England	Perth	14-Dec-17
13	SC Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh	300	India	v Pakistan	Bengaluru	8-Dec-07
14	S Chanderpaul, D Ramdin	296*	West Indies	v Bangladesh	Mirpur	13-Nov-12
15	CL Hooper, S Chanderpaul	293	West Indies	v India	Georgetown	11-Apr-02
16	Javed Miandad, Asif Iqbal	281	Pakistan	v New Zealand	Lahore	9-Oct-76
17	SR Waugh, RT Ponting	281	Australia	v West Indies	Bridgetown	26-Mar-99
18	TT Samaraweera, TM Dilshan	280	Sri Lanka	v Bangladesh	Colombo (PSS)	20-Sep-05
19	MW Goodwin, A Flower	277*	Zimbabwe	v Pakistan	Bulawayo	14-Mar-98
20	MJ Clarke, MEK Hussey	272	Australia	v South Africa	Adelaide	22-Nov-12
21	MTG Elliott, RT Ponting	268	Australia	v England	Leeds	24-Jul-97
22	JH Kallis, AG Prince	267	South Africa	v West Indies	St John's	29-Apr-05
23	Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim	267	Bangladesh	v Sri Lanka	Galle	8-Mar-13
24	SM Nurse, GS Sobers	265	West Indies	v England	Leeds	4-Aug-66
25	RR Sarwan, S Chanderpaul	262*	West Indies	v Bangladesh	Kingston	4-Jun-04
26	Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq	259	Pakistan	v Bangladesh	Chattogram	9-Dec-11
27	Saleem Malik, Inzamam-ul-Haq	258	Pakistan	v New Zealand	Wellington	17-Feb-94
28	JH Kallis, AB de Villiers	256	South Africa	v India	Ahmedabad	3-Apr-08
29	SR Tendulkar, SK Raina	256	India	v Sri Lanka	Colombo (SSC)	26-Jul-10
30	KWR Fletcher, AW Greig	254	England	v India	Brabourne	6-Feb-73
31	MJ Clarke, MJ North	253	Australia	v New Zealand	Wellington	19-Mar-10
32	Shoaib Malik, Asad Shafiq	248	Pakistan	v England	Abu Dhabi	13-Oct-15
33	WR Hammond, LEG Ames	242	England	v New Zealand	Christchurch	24-Mar-33
34	SR Waugh, RT Ponting	239	Australia	v India	Adelaide	10-Dec-99
35	DCS Compton, NWD Yardley	237	England	v South Africa	Nottingham	7-Jun-47
36	DJ Malan, JM Bairstow	237	England	v Australia	Perth	14-Dec-17
37	DJ Mitchell, TA Blundell	236	New Zealand	v England	Nottingham	10-Jun-22
38	Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah	235	Bangladesh	v New Zealand	Hamilton	28-Feb-19
39	PA de Silva, ST Jayasuriya	234	Sri Lanka	v Bangladesh	Colombo (PSS)	21-Jul-02
40	S Chanderpaul, BP Nash	234	West Indies	v England	Port of Spain	6-Mar-09
41	GW Flower, GJ Whittall	233*	Zimbabwe	v Pakistan	Harare	31-Jan-95
42	SE Marsh, SPD Smith	233	Australia	v South Africa	Centurion	12-Feb-14
43	MJ Clarke, MEK Hussey	228	Australia	v South Africa	Brisbane	9-Nov-12
44	V Kohli, RA Jadeja	225	India	v South Africa	Pune	10-Oct-19
45	AR Morris, DG Bradman	223*	Australia	v India	Melbourne	1-Jan-48
46	NJ Astle, CD McMillan	222	New Zealand	v Zimbabwe	Wellington	26-Dec-00
47	KR Miller, RG Archer	220	Australia	v West Indies	Kingston	11-Jun-55
48	SR Tendulkar, V Sehwag	220	India	v South Africa	Bloemfontein	3-Nov-01
49	ED Weekes, BH Pairaudeau	219	West Indies	v India	Port of Spain	21-Jan-53
50	RB Simpson, BC Booth	219	Australia	v England	Manchester	23-Jul-64
51	BC Lara, S Chanderpaul	219	West Indies	v England	St John's	16-Apr-94
52	PD Collingwood, EJG Morgan	219	England	v Pakistan	Nottingham	29-Jul-10
53	Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq	219	Pakistan	v South Africa	Cape Town	14-Feb-13
54	PD Collingwood, MJ Prior	218	England	v West Indies	Port of Spain	6-Mar-09
55	AR Border, GM Ritchie	216	Australia	v England	Lord's	27-Jun-85
56	CL Hooper, S Chanderpaul	215	West Indies	v India	Bridgetown	2-May-02
57	M Azharuddin, RJ Shastri	214	India	v England	Eden Gardens	31-Dec-84
58	SR Tendulkar, VVS Laxman	214	India	v West Indies	Eden Gardens	30-Oct-02
59	Zaheer Abbas, Mudassar Nazar	213	Pakistan	v India	Karachi	23-Dec-82
60	GM Ritchie, GRJ Matthews	213	Australia	v New Zealand	Wellington	21-Feb-86
61	AG Prince, HH Gibbs	213	South Africa	v Pakistan	Centurion	11-Jan-07
62	AG Prince, AB de Villiers	212	South Africa	v England	Leeds	18-Jul-08
63	KS Williamson, HM Nicholls	212	New Zealand	v Pakistan	Abu Dhabi	3-Dec-18
64	RB Kanhai, MLC Foster	210	West Indies	v Australia	Kingston	16-Feb-73
65	DL Amiss, AW Greig	210	England	v New Zealand	Nottingham	7-Jun-73
66	AR Border, SR Waugh	208	Australia	v South Africa	Adelaide	28-Jan-94
67	UT Khawaja, C Green	208	Australia	v India	Ahmedabad	9-Mar-23
68	TT Samaraweera, TM Dilshan	207	Sri Lanka	v Pakistan	Lahore	1-Mar-09
69	Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq	207	Pakistan	v Bangladesh	Mirpur	6-May-15
70	E Paynter, DCS Compton	206	England	v Australia	Nottingham	10-Jun-38
71	Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das	206	Bangladesh	v Pakistan	Chattogram	26-Nov-21
72	F du Plessis, AB de Villiers	205	South Africa	v India	Johannesburg	18-Dec-13
73	SM Gavaskar, BP Patel	204	India	v West Indies	Port of Spain	24-Mar-76
74	ME Waugh, AR Border	204	Australia	v West Indies	Melbourne	26-Dec-92
75	HDRL Thirimanne, LD Chandimal	203*	Sri Lanka	v Bangladesh	Galle	8-Mar-13
76	BA Stokes, OJ Pope	203	England	v South Africa	Gqeberha	16-Jan-20
77	MH Denness, AW Greig	202	England	v India	Lord's	20-Jun-74
78	SR Tendulkar, M Azharuddin	202	India	v West Indies	Nagpur	1-Dec-94
79	SM Patil, RJ Shastri	200	India	v Pakistan	Faisalabad	24-Oct-84
80	GM Wood, SR Waugh	200	Australia	v West Indies	Perth	2-Dec-88
81	BC Lara, DJ Bravo	200	West Indies	v Pakistan	Multan	19-Nov-06

Data Source: ESPN Cricinfo