Test match determines many aspects of the game along with the qualities of the individual. Virat Kohli once said that test cricket has made him a better person. Well, if you’ve been an avid cricket fan, then you’d understand the level of patience, grit, and resilience required to play a Test match the situation of the game five days straight for more than 6 hours truly showcases the quality of an individual. This is precisely what we get to see in long bowling spells, along with the batting partnerships where the batters either get to form a long partnership by saving the match or posting a total to chase.
This statement gives me the nostalgia of one of the most incredible partnerships test cricket has ever graced. It is the highest opening partnership by two South African greats, Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith. Let us now unfold this prolific partnership against a growing Bangladesh side.
About the match and the excellent partnership
The Chattogram, Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury, has always been a batting paradise since its inception when it was called Chittagong Divisional Stadium during the late 2000s when the pipeline of the Bangladesh cricket team was getting created under the coaching of Dav Whatmore.
The glorious partnership against a growing and inexperienced Bangladesh was clearly the perfect example of the type of batting track the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury is. And it still has lived up to its name even now as we are witnessing the flurry of runs in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.
The 2nd Test Match
It was the 2nd test match for the visitors against the hosts, Bangladesh, after the most convincing win against the hosts by an Innings and 60 runs at the same venue courtesy of Jacques Rudolph’s double hundred and Boeta Dippenaar’s 170-odd runs.
The expectations were similar for the Proteas in the second test match as well, while the Tigers were keen on bouncing back, but nevertheless, the outcome was the same and, to some degree, even worse, as Bangladesh again lost the match by an innings and along with an absurd 205 runs. The entire bowling unit got completely crumbled by the masterclass of a young Neil Mackenzie and the ever-experienced Graeme Smith.
The young tigers got completely torn apart as the pace of Steyn and Ntini was too good for them. This led to Bangladesh getting out on the first innings for just 259 runs; as they were in follow-on, the proteas pushed them to bat again and got them all out for even less, all thanks to Robin Peterson’s fifer and, of course, Dale Steyn’s pace. Bangladesh was utterly shattered by the ball and was not given an inch of chance by the proteas to bounce.
The world-record partnership of Niel McKenzie & Graeme
Any avid Bangladeshi cricket fan will forever hate to recall this match because the game was just as frustrating for the fans. The flurry of runs was cruel and non-stop for an entire day as Niel MacKenzie and Graeme Smith were toying with the likes of Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, and Mohammed Rafique.
Since ball one, it started with Niel McKenzie’s boundary with a cover drive, and these boundaries kept on flowing by both of the batters till the morning of the next day. It was the perfect display of what test match batting is all about. Graeme Smith, as he loves playing Bangladesh, was cruising and enjoying his time, getting his 4th double hundred and 2nd against Bangladesh at just 238 balls, while the somewhat inexperienced McKenzie got onto this 3rd test hundred by stonking Mohammed Rafique at the long on region.
The match was getting only frustrating for the tigers while the proteas were enjoying themselves. The spinners were bowling too short with a lack of pace, and Shahadat Hossain was bowling in the mid-120s, so his bowling was quite easy to negotiate, but while Mashrafe had decent pace, he couldn’t hit the deck hard enough to swing the ball.
The Missed Opportunity!
The only real chance where the Tigers were close to getting them out was when Mohammed Rafique dropped McKenzie on a catch of his own bowling on they were at 314. The record of Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy would’ve stayed intact if only Rafique hadn’t dropped the catch.
You could wonder that these had no idea that they were going to cross the world record given how busy they were scoring, but they consciously tied the world record of 413 on Abdur Razzak’s bowling, only to cross the record on his bowling, then Graeme Smith getting out on his bowling at the same over as well.
It was a good sign for the Bangladeshis as they took the wicket of the big fish Smith for his 232, but the damage was brutally done already.
Notable partnerships that are close to the world record
Now that we have spoken about the highest opening partnership in test cricket let us now talk about the other and previous record opening partnerships in test cricket.
The most recent: Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul
The one we thought would’ve beaten McKenzie and Brathwaite was not able to do so but definitely got the highest opening test partnership in the decade. Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul completely dominated the Zimbabwean side in the first innings. Since 2008, this was the highest opening stand in a test match. After this one, another partnership that seemed like it would achieve the world record was Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma’s 317 opening stand against South Africa.
The previous two world records: The partnership between Dravid & Sehwag along with Vinoo Mankad & Pankaj Roy
The partnership fo Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj is one for the archives as this record was achieved during the inception of Cricket as these two late veterans got their then then-world record of 413, which led to India beating New Zealand by an innings and 109.
It is genuinely quite astonishing that this record was broken after 52 years. The game never would’ve arrived if it was not for them.
Another opening stand that all Indians remember which will remind you of the phrase “So close yet so far,” is the marvelous opening stand of Sehwag and Dravid for 410, making them just six runs shy of the record. It was just the brilliance of two stalwarts of Indian cricket against Pakistan’s reforming bowling unit. Sehwag scored an absurd 254 off just 247 runs with a strike rate of over 108, while Dravid, the wall as we all know, complemented Sehwag for his 128. The partnership was, alas, broken by Naved-ul-Hasan’s slower ball, which Sehwag, with his rush of blood, tried to uppercut it, but the ball only to the slip coordinate.
To Conclude!
Thus, the highest opening partnership in Test cricket between Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith is a testament to the enduring allure and challenges of the five-day format. Their remarkable display of skill, endurance, and resilience showcased their batting prowess and highlighted the essence of Test cricket – an actual test of character and perseverance. As we reflect on this historic achievement and reminisce about other notable partnerships in the annals of cricketing history, it reaffirms the timeless appeal of the game’s longest format. From the early days of Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy to the modern era with the likes of Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul, these partnerships serve as reminders of the rich tapestry of cricketing excellence woven across generations. As the game continues to evolve, one thing remains certain – the indomitable spirit of Test cricket will continue to captivate audiences and inspire generations to come.
