The Indian side currently has 5 players in the Top 11 highest run-getters in the One-Day format and have had some exceptional performers with the bat over the years. Team India has scored the most 300+ totals in the format with the help of these cricketers. In a limited-overs game, a set platform is very important for the middle order batsmen to cash in on and set bigger totals.
The Men In Blue have been lucky in that area and have had exceptional openers that have found their able opening partners to dominate world-class attacks. Let’s have a look at Top 3 opening combinations for India in ODIs till date.
1) Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly – The right-left combination has done wonders for the country as they have scored 6609 runs together for the first wicket, which is more than any other pair in the world. They have made 21 century stands and 23 half-century stands for India. They went past the 250-run mark twice and the stand was broken in the 190s twice too. Their highest opening stand of 258 is also the highest for India.
The duo has scored 1182 runs against South Africa at the top of the order, which is the second-most for an Indian pair against a particular opposition. In 20 innings, they average 59.10 against the Proteas have scored five century partnerships and three more half-century partnerships. Their second-favourite opposition is Pakistan, against whom they scored 906 runs in 22 innings at an average of 41.18. They have also registered a total of eight 50+ opening stands against them.
2) Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma – These two took over a year after Tendulkar retired and formed another successful right-left opening combination for India. They have scored a total of 4802 runs for the first wicket at an average of 45.30 including a total of thirty 50+ stands out of which 16 were converted into three-figure stands. Nobody has scored more than them in ODIs for the first wicket since they started opening for India. The pair has crossed 200 once and almost did once again before falling short by 7 runs.
Dhawan and Rohit have amassed 1367 runs against the Aussies, which is the most by an Indian pair against a single opposition for any wicket. Their performances have featured 6 century stands and 3 half-century stands. After Australia, the most damage has been done to Sri Lanka. The duo has scored 586 runs against their neighbours at an average of 45.07 with one half-century stand and three century stands.
Keep checking Live cricket score to watch the two open the batting for India once again and wreak havoc.
3) Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar – Arguably the most loved batting pair in the country has scored 3919 runs for India at the opening position at an average of 42.13 including twelve century stands and eighteen more half-century stands. The duo has recorded three stands over 150 for India with their highest being 182 against New Zealand at Hyderabad.
They have scored most runs against Sri Lanka. In 20 innings, they amassed 834 runs at an average of 41.70 with seven 50+ stands including a couple of three-figure performances. Their next favourite opposition is England as they managed to score 614 runs in just 9 innings at a whopping average of 68.22. 4 out of the 9 innings saw them get to more than 50 runs and just one of them didn’t get to 100.
Interestingly, these three opening duos feature in the Top 6 of world’s best opening partnerships in ODI cricket.
