England vs India, 2018: Five highest Test partnerships by India in England
There's always a sense of anticipation around a full-fledged Indian tour of England. Every cricket aficionado gears up for the healthy contest between the two juggernauts of the sport, so as to relish the riveting competition that thrives between them.
As the Indian Team led by Virat Kohli prepares itself for a new challenge in the home of cricket, history will wait to rewrite itself on the revered pitches of the country. It will be interesting to see which team comes out on top of this intriguing battle, which nation stands tall after the clash of these titans.
There have been some incredible performances by the Asians on English tours before, inspiring millions of aspiring cricketers by making it count on the biggest of stages and under the most testing conditions.
One of the biggest challenges a batsman faces in England revolves around building strong, formidable partnerships in the middle. It is difficult to stay on the same page with your partner as the ball keeps swinging under the clouds and minimizes the margin for error.
However, some Indian pairs have managed to overcome every trial in England to stitch partnerships that have successfully transcended sporting eras.
Let us look at the five highest partnerships by Indians in England:
#5 211 by Vinoo Mankad and Vijay Hazare
Back in 1952, India toured England for the first time after getting Independence from Britain. The team ended up losing three and drawing one of the four Test matches that were played but showed a lot of fight and character on the tour.
One such instance of Indian resilience was on display at Lords in the second match of the series, where India were trailing behind the hosts by a deficit of 302 runs after the first two innings and it seemed as if they would capitulate to a defeat in the third.
The pair of Vinoo Mankad and Vijay Hazare stepped up though, anchoring the Indian ship through tumultuous waters. Both the batsmen had crossed fifty in the first innings and thus, were well-acclimatized to the conditions in the Mecca of Cricket.
Mankad played an impeccable knock of 184 on the day, whereas Hazare donned the role of the second fiddle perfectly, scoring 49 runs to put up 211 runs with the former. The partnership proved to be the fulcrum to India's batting effort in the third innings, helping them notch up a total of 378 runs, which thereby ensured that England would have to bat once again to claim victory in the Test.