3 most prolific opening combinations for India in Test cricket

In the Test format, India have always been blessed with world-class openers.

Sunil Gavaskar became the first man to reach 10,000 runs in Test cricket, while Kris Srikkanth revolutionised the way batsmen approached the opening slot. Navjot Singh Sidhu enthralled audiences with his six-hitting prowess, and Virender Sehwag took it a step further with his destructive batting.

Murali Vijay's class and poise served India well at the top of the order, while Gautam Gambhir was always up to the fight in any conditions. And more recently, the Indian Test team has seen the rise of talented young openers like Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw.

Despite many greats of the game and young talent all featuring for India in the longest format of the game, the side has seen only a few set opening combinations. In this article, we take a look at the 3 most prolific opening combinations for India in Test match cricket.

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#3 Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay (1,748 runs)

Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan complement each other perfectly but aren't Test regulars at the moment

Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay have amassed 1,748 runs as an opening pair, the third-most prolific partnership against the new ball for India in Test matches. They average 43.93 runs per partnership, which is very respectable considering the fact that they have played games in South Africa, England, and Australia.

A right-left combination is vital to disrupt opposition bowlers' plans for the new ball, and this was evidenced right from the outset as Dhawan and Vijay put on 289 runs in their first-ever innings against Australia in 2013. Although they have been part of only two other century partnerships, they provided some much-needed solidity at the top of the order.

Since their incredible debut, however, Dhawan and Vijay have played only 41 innings in 6 years, with both batsmen suffering the occasional dip in form. Both openers are currently not part of the Test team, although they should be given another go in the near future.

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#2 Chetan Chauhan and Sunil Gavaskar (3,010 runs)

Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan pictured in the infamous walk-off incident, the only blip on their splendid record

Chetan Chauhan and Sunil Gavaskar played 59 innings as an opening combination in Test cricket for India, and scored 3,010 runs at an average of 52.81 runs per partnership. The two right-handers were extremely different as batsmen, although they did share a steely resolve and an airtight defence.

While Chauhan didn't experience anywhere near the same success as Gavaskar for India, he was an able foil to the original Little Master. Chauhan never registered a Test century, but he and Gavaskar put on as many as 10 century partnerships, with many of them coming in challenging overseas conditions in Pakistan, West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, and England.

In 1979, they tallied their first and only 200+ run stand, a determined 213 against England at the Kennington Oval.

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#1 Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir (4,412 runs)

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were part of an incredibly productive partnership both on and off the field

Two of the greatest Indian batsmen ever, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were as dangerous together as they were otherwise. With Sehwag's aggressive batting and laid-back nature perfectly complementing Gambhir's, they scored 4,412 Test runs together at a partnership average of 51.79.

The right-left duo played in 87 innings together, and scored enough runs to rank at #5 on the list of the most successful opening combinations in Test history. Their greatness was recognised as early as 3 games into the prolific partnership, with a 218-run stand against South Africa at Green Park in Kanpur - a venue that would see them record another 200+ run stand against Sri Lanka.

Sehwag and Gambhir put on 11 century partnerships in Tests, more than any other Indian pair in history. They are known for being thick friends off the field as well.

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