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Cricket is an individual-skill-based team game that ultimately draws its successes on how well can pairs perform on the 22 yards or as they say more conventionally, in the middle. While the bowlers attack in tandem and spinners hunt in pairs, so too the opening batters, something that's entirely true especially in Test cricket. But as seen over the past several decades, there have always been rising opening batting pairs that have gone on to trouble bastions of cricketing glory such as India; their successes prominent and clear as the daylight in red-ball cricket.
That being said, how the openers perform in Test match cricket holds true for how their respective teams perform in game's most arduous format, speaking of which let us take a moment to acknowledge the socrers of most 50+ partnerships for an opening pair versus India in Tests.
List of opening pairs with most 50+ partnerships vs India in Tests
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett (8)
The fighting pair of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, responsible for giving their English team another great and fluent start as recently seen against India at The Oval, are now responsible for eight 50+ Test match stands and theirs is an impressive list that is further growing northward.
The classic left hand, right hand pair determinedly puts forth the combination of technically correct batting coupled with an attacking display that is not even afraid of some of the most fearsome and daunting fast bowlers, such as Jasprit Bumrah.
In The Oval Test match, the pair of Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley put together 92 runs in England's first innings and have thus far, scored over 900 runs in Test match cricket as openers competing against India. It is only a matter of time before the two can his 1000-plus runs as openers in Tests against the Gill-led side.
Sir Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes (7)
Sir Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, whose contributions to shaping the annals of West Indies cricket are nothing shy in comparison to a Michael Jordan or Lebron James shaping the sport of Basketball are still very much batting icons known for fearless batting.
Back in the day, they were responsible for producing awe-inspiring and endlessly creditable scores in the game's longest format and appeared utterly unperturbed each time they walked out to bat.
It was almost as if they relished smashing the world's best bowlers in the game, as a result of which even despite competitive teams like India, Sir Greenidge and Haynes produced great partnerships, as a matter of fact, eight 50+ scores in red-ball cricket.
Sir Alastair Cook and Sir Andrew Strauss (7)
Sir Alastair Cook, still widely respected for his battting dominance in Test match cricket alongside Sir Andrew Strauss formed in the 2000s a great batting pair for England. Together the duo would notch up memorable stands against most incomparably challenging international sides, such as India.
But against India, a team during the days of Tendulkar, Dravid, and later on, Dhoni and company, the duo would compile seven 50+ partnership stands where it came to Test cricket.
Sir Alastair Cook is the scorer of second most number of Test runs against India with Joe Root having successfully usurped several in the game, not just from England.
Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer (7)
Back in the 2000s and actually from the late 1990 onwards, the batting duo of Hayden and Langer of Austalia were a threat to most of the world's bowlers especially in Test match cricket, delivering masterstrokes not just against India. But there was something of a carnage that they'd together produce in the longest format of the game where it came to contesting against India, a team versus which they'd compile seven 50+ partnership scores in Test match cricket.
FAQs
Which opening pair from which country has the most 50+ partnerships vs India in Tests?
The answer to that is England's opening pair Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett.
Which famous West Indies opening pair has amassed many 50+ stands vs India?
The legenday and attacking opening pair from the West Indies - Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes have this record.
