5 pairs of batsmen who have scored the most runs together in the fourth innings
A peripheral argument often revolves around the art of batting in Test cricket. Are runs amassed in the first couple of innings more valuable than those scored in the third as well as fourth innings? While the former does player a bigger role in setting up victories, the latter is widely touted as the ultimate challenge facing any batsman.
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With the pitch deteriorating sharply and hungry bowlers grooving at the top of their game, batting in the fourth innings becomes the toughest task in the format. While spinners are able to get much more purchase, the variable bounce seen on a crumbling surface also adds teeth to the potency of fast bowlers. Let us take a look at five pairs of batsmen who have overcome such obstacles to accumulate the most runs together in the fourth innings.
#5 Mike Atherton and Alec Stewart - 868 runs
As evidenced by their collection of 868 runs from 16 innings at an impressive average of 62, Mike Atherton and Alec Stewart enjoyed batting together in the fourth innings. The duo registered two century-plus partnerships and eight fifty-plus stands to shore up England's fortunes in the business stages. While Atherton's dogged defence kept opposition bowlers at bay, Stewart's wide range of strokes provided the artistic touch.
The highest fourth-innings partnership between Atherton and Stewart came against Pakistan at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground in 1996. The duo managed to survive the new-ball spells of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis before adding 154 runs for the second wicket. However, leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed removed both batsmen in quick succession to trigger a fatal England collapse.