5 most successful English batting pairs of all time in Test cricket

Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss

1 Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss

Alastair Cook became England's opener in Test cricket after a stellar century on debut against India back in 2006 and along with the already established Andrew Strauss, he formed one of the best opening pairs in world cricket.

They opened together till 2013, the year Strauss retired, and during that 7-year period, they became the most successful pair in the history of English Test cricket. Cook's technique, temperament, tenacity and the ability to play the long innings, and Strauss' unorthodox but effective approach formed a combination that formed one of the pillars of the successes that England enjoyed during the period. The team eventually climbed to the top of the world Test rankings.

The duo added 5253 runs during the course of their 132 partnerships and averaged 40.40. Cook and Strauss gave England a start of in excess of hundred 14 times and a fifty-plus one on 21 occasions. Their highest partnership of 229 came against the West Indies at Bridgetown back in 2009.