Top 4 most successful opening pairs in ODI cricket

Opening partnership is considered as an important part of the innings. If the openers see off the new ball without losing any wicket then it sets the tone for the rest of the match. A good start gives the rest of the batting order a great platform to build on.

Over the years, ODI cricket has seen many prolific opening pairs from various teams. These formidable opening pairs have given many sleepless nights to their bowlers. Let’s take a look at the top four most successful opening combinations in the history of ODI cricket:-

1. Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly:

Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly: (Image Source: Twitter)

If there ever was an epitome of an opening partnership then Tendulkar and Ganguly would be the perfect fit for it. The duo has scored 6609 runs for the first wicket together with an average of 49.32.

Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for scoring the most run in ODIs. He has  18,426 runs at an average of 44.83. Sourav Ganguly, on the other hand, has 11,363 runs to his name in 311 ODIs.

2. Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist:

Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly: (Image Source: Twitter)

Gilchrist and Hayden were like two hungry people who’ve not eaten for ages whenever they walked out to bat. The duo would rip apart any bowling attack in the world, giving them a run for their money.

The opening pair was involved in a 100+ run stand in the finals of the 2003 and 2007 ODI World Cup which proved instrumental in Australia, setting a big total in both the finals. The duo has scored 5372 runs at an average of 47.32.

3. Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes-

Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes: (Image Source: Twitter)

The West Indies team from the 80s was a force to be reckoned with. Apart from having the deadly pace quartet, they also had Greenidge and Haynes, setting up the platform for their star batters up the order. The duo scored 5150 runs at an average of over 52.

In his ODI career, Gordon Greenidge scored 5134 runs in 128 matches at an average of 45.00. On the other hand, Haynes has 8648 runs at an average of 41.4. Besides, he also more than 7000 runs in Test Cricket at 42.3.

4. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma:

Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma: (Image Source: Twitter)

From the land of Ganguly Tendulkar, Ganguly-Sehwag, Gambhir-Sehwag, there emerged another prolific batting pair of Dhawan and Sharma. The duo walked out to bat for the first time on 6^th June 2013 against South Africa in Champions Trophy 2013.

The masterstroke by captain MS Dhoni worked wonders for the team as India lifted the trophy. The duo has since scored 5015 runs at an average of 46 together. Rohit Sharma is currently leading the Indian team in all formats and the duo is still opening for the Indian Team in ODIs.