Stats: Top 10 partnerships in first-class cricket

Swapnil Gugale and Ankeet Bawane were two average first-class cricketers before the start of the Ranji Trophy season. However, after what they achieved at the Wankhede Stadium on the 14th of October 2016, their names will be immortalized when it comes to the doldrums of the cricketing fraternity.

Gugale and Bawane batted the entire day against what was seemingly a formidable Delhi bowling unit scoring 351 and 258 respectively. They stitched 594 runs on the day, becoming the highest third-wicket partnership in the vast history of the Ranji Trophy tournament. Moreover, the fact of the matter sees them attain immortality in a wider frame as well.

In spite of the fact that they were not allowed to scale the 600-run mark, this is the second-highest partnership in first-class cricket in all time. At the top of the tree and just 30 runs ahead of the two Maharashtrian youngsters are Sri Lankan stalwarts Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. The dynamic duo immortalized the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo with a 624-run partnership against South Africa in 2006.

If one was to pick the best Sri Lankan cricketers of all time, they would most certainly go ahead and pick Sangakkara and Jayawardene. Once again, they stitch a partnership for the third wicket whilst facing bowlers such as Dale Steyn and Shaun Pollock on wet wickets in Colombo.

Also read- Swapnil Gugale scores triple ton on captaincy debut

The Indians have featured two more times apart from Gugale and Bawane. Ravindra Jadeja and Sagar Jogiyani find themselves at the number 10 spot following their partnership against Gujarat for Saurashtra at Surat in 2013.

However, they failed to reach the record set by Vijay Hazare and Gul Mohammad all those years ago in 1946 for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Similar to the Indian, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan players also is featured more than once in the list.

Sir Frank Worrell, the former captain of the West Indies and his partner in crime Clyde Walcott are also featured on this list.

Here are the Stats: Top 10 partnerships in first-class cricket