Highest Test partnerships by Indians in Australia
For a long time, it was an established fact that the Indian cricket team are not the best travellers in the business and although they have improved their record significantly over the past two decades, some things haven’t changed. For instance, they are yet to win a Test series in Australia and over the course of the country’s cricketing history, barring a few exceptions, most Indian teams have struggled to play to their full potential.
The trend has probably changed over the past decade and a half, but it has not yet seen India register a series win. At one point of time, the pace and bounce on Australian pitches used to be a major problem for Indian batsmen and they struggled to put bat to ball in the initial part of the series.
However, it cannot be denied that Indian batsmen have also delivered outstanding performances in Australia from time to time and have done so in pairs. Here is a look at 5 of the biggest partnerships by Indian batsmen in Australia.
#5 196 runs 5th wicket stand between Ravi Shastri and Sachin Tendulkar at Sydney, 1992
After having lost the 1st two Tests matches, India gave a far better account of themselves in the 3rd Test in Sydney during the 1991-92 tour of Australia. After Australia had been dismissed for 313, India’s batsmen came good and things were looking good at 197 for 2 when they lost two quick wickets to be reduced to 201 for 4. That’s when teenaged Sachin Tendulkar came together with Ravi Shastri, who had opened in that Test and was well set at the time.
The two of them took the fight to the Australian bowling attack fronted by Craig McDermott, Bruce Reid, Merv Hughes and the debutante Shane Warne. They added 196 runs for the 5th wicket in lightning quick time and much of that had to do with the scintillating stroke-play of Tendulkar. Shastri got out after scoring an epic 206 and the partnership ended with the score at 397. Tendulkar went on to make 148 as India made 483. With a 1st innings lead of 170, India gave Australia a mighty scare and had them at 173 for 8, when the match was called off as a draw.