Highest 4th Wicket Partnerships in ODI
There is no denying that partnerships are crucial to a team’s success in all sports and cricket is no exception. Good partnerships completely change the momentum of the game. How often we have seen a team in trouble with quick wickets, but a good partnership bailed them out and brought them back into the game. Over the years, we have seen a lot of stellar partnerships in ODI cricket. Some of them got into the record books too.
In this article, we look at 5 highest 4th wicket partnerships in ODIs:
#5 Jonty Rhodes and Daryll Cullinan (232 Runs)
Jonty Rhodes and Daryll Cullinan hold the record for scoring the fifth-highest partnership for the fourth wicket in ODIs. After South Africa had lost 3 wickets for just 38 runs, Jonty Rhodes and Daryll Cullinan took the team out of trouble and stitched a mammoth 232-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Jonty ended up scoring 121 off 114 balls, while Cullinan notched 124 runs off 117 balls as the duo helped South Africa post 321 runs in 50 overs.
Pakistan, in reply, succumbed to 259 runs in the second innings.
#4 Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds (237 Runs)
Sri Lankans were over the moon after dismissing Australia’s first three batsmen for just 10 runs in the 2nd final of VB series in 2008. However, little did they know what was about to follow. Andrew Symonds joined hands with Ricky Ponting and played together for more than 37 overs.
The duo ripped apart Sri Lanka’s bowling line up as they stitched a mammoth 237-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Ricky Ponting scored 124 runs off 127 balls, while Andrew Symonds notched 151 runs off just 127 balls. Australia ended their innings at 368 and bundled Sri Lanka out for 201 in the second innings.
#3 Faf du Plessis and David Miller (252 Runs)
Three wickets down for just 55 runs in the first 15 overs, you won’t call it a good start from South Africa. Australia was at the driver’s seat after the first quarter of South Africa’s innings in the third ODI at Hobart in 2018. However, what followed was carnage from two destructive South African batsmen in Faf du Plessis and David Miller.
It was a day to see David Warner launching the ball to all parts of the ground. He scored 139 runs off 108 balls, a knock which included 13 fours and 4 sixes. His ally, Faf du Plessis too played a brilliant knock of 125 runs off 119 balls.
The duo added 252 runs for the fourth wicket and took South Africa’s total to 320 runs in fifty overs. The 252-run partnership is currently the third-highest fourth-wicket partnership in ODIs. Australia, in reply, ended their innings on 280 runs.
#2 MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh (256 Runs)
The second ODI between India and England in 2017 at Cuttack witnessed vintage MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh producing one of the best ODI partnerships of all time. Both the batsmen were certainly past their prime, however, what we saw that day was just absolute class.
Batting first, India found themselves in all sorts of trouble, having lost three wickets for just 25 runs in 5 overs. All the top three players such as KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli went back to the pavilion.
Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni then joined hands to begin the rescue act. The duo built the innings with caution. MS Dhoni played as a second fiddle initially before coming to his own later in the innings. The added 256 runs for the fourth wicket, helping India reach a mammoth 381-run total in the first innings. Yuvraj Singh scored 150 runs off 127 balls, while MS Dhoni too played a fine 134-run knock off 122 balls. India won that game by 15 runs.
#1 Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja (275 Runs)
Former Indian players, Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja hold the record for the highest fourth-wicket partnership in ODIs. Playing against Zimbabwe at Cuttack Cricket Ground in 1998, India had lost their first three wickets for just 31 runs. It was VVS Laxman’s debut game, however, he couldn’t make an impact in that game.
It was skipper, Mohammad Azharuddin, and Ajay Jadeja, who then rescued the ship and stitched a brilliant match-winning partnership for the fourth wicket. The duo added 275 runs for the fourth wicket. Azharuddin scored an unbeaten 153-run knock off150 balls, while Ajay Jadeja amassed 116 runs off 121 balls as India compiled 301 runs in 50 overs.
Zimbabwe too gave a tough fight in the second innings and India to work hard to earn a 32-run victory, Zimbabwe scored 269 runs in the second innings, courtesy of a stellar century from Grant Flower.
