A good opening partnership sets the tone wonderfully for a side to take control in cricket. Their task gets a lot more difficult in Test cricket, where they have to see through new ball trouble to ensure the batters following them can score freely. Like the ODI and T20 world cups, the International Cricket Council (ICC) opted to appease Test cricket with the World Test Championship. Although it had only just begun in 2019, it had seen some excellent opening partnerships along the way with stellar averages. Let's take a look at those opening pairs that have the highest opening partnership average in WTC history.
Also Read: Most Runs in WTC 2023-25
Highest opening partnership average (WTC)
1# Yashasvi Jaiswal & Rohit Sharma (IND)
Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal set the record for the fastest fifty-plus partnership in Test cricket history during the fourth day of play in the second Test match between India and Bangladesh at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. The Indian duo batted at a run-rate of 14.34 making them the first pair to register a half-century at a scoring rate of more than two runs per ball.
In 22 matches, the Indian pair scored 1163 runs with three centuries and 5 half-centuries, maintaining an impressive average of 52.86.
2# Zak Crawley & Ben Duckett (ENG)
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett's opening partnership has been one of the most crucial parts of England's successes in the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum era, which has drawn to an end the decade of insecurity in establishing a long-term pairing at the top of the order. But beyond the stability, they’re starting to establish themselves among the most prolific England opening partnerships from years gone by.
In 31 innings, the duo scored 1314 runs with an impressive average of 42.38. They also amassed one century and 10 half-centuries together, with their highest score being 233.
Also Read: World Test Championship qualification: India needs to win 5, draw 1
3# Usman Khawaja & David Warner (AUS)
Australia’s opening batters Usman Khawaja and David Warner have grown up together since junior cricket and have had a long-term association in international cricket. The duo have batted together in 64 innings in Test cricket and have scored 2771 between themselves.
Khawaja and Warner batted together in 40 innings and scored 1493 runs with an outstanding average of 38.28. They smashed 3 centuries and 9 half-centuries, with a highest score of 156 in WTC.
4# Devon Conway & Tom Latham (NZ)
Devon Conway and Tom Latham possess an opening pair that might just go on to become the envy of the world. Since his debut in Test cricket in February 2014, Latham has been a fixture at the top of New Zealand's order in Test cricket. While in 2022, Conway became the fastest New Zealand batter to 1000 Test runs, getting there in 19 innings.
In 23 innings, the Kiwi duo scored 872 runs with an impressive average of 37.91. They also amassed two century and five half-centuries together, with their highest score being 183.
Also Read: Most Test centuries in the World Test Championship
5# Pathum Nissanka & Dimuth Karunaratne (SL)
Sri Lankan pair of Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne is a fresh one when it comes to opening together in Test Cricket. They have made a hugely impressive start to their alliance at the top in WTC cycle. Nissanka and Karunaratne have opened together in 12 innings in WTC and have scored 444 runs as a pair at an average of 37.00, with two hundred stands.