Legendary cricketing pairs who played their last match together (Post-2000) 

Matthew Hayden & Adam Gilchrist (Played Last ODI together)

Hayden & Gilchrist - Arguably the best ODI opening pair!

The Ganguly-Tendulkar partnership won India many matches, and finished ODI cricket as the best opening partnership statistically. But there hasn't been an opening partnership as attacking and lethal as that of Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden. Attacking strokeplay apart, they complemented each other really well. Their nimble running between the wickets frustrated oppositions like anything. So much so, that if the ball went either side of any fielder in the circle, by the time the fielder stood up, the ends had changed.

Mark Waugh was certainly not in the form of his life when Matthew Hayden was promoted to open the innings alongside Adam Gilchrist. With these two in the squad, Australia won several tournaments - including two ICC World Cups, multiple triangular tournaments in Australia, a tri-series in India, a tri-series in England and many more ODI tournaments in their most dominant era. The pair was so effective, that in both World Cup finals - 2003 and 2007 - the match had been won in the first 15-overs as they put on 100-plus opening stands in quick time on both occasions.

Adam Gilchrist announced his retirement from international cricket just after the end of the 2008 home Test series in India, stating that the following Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series would be his last international outing. While the pair fired throughout the tournament, Australia failed to win the best-of-three finals, losing the first final at Sydney and the second final at Brisbane.

While Hayden was available for ODI selection, injuries and rotation policy deprived Hayden of another chance in one-dayers. He announced his retirement from all formats at the end of the home Test series against South Africa later that year, and Gilchrist's last ODI also turned out to be Haydos's swansong.