Australia along with England were the first teams to play the game of cricket. These two teams played the first ever official cricket match in 1877 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Thus, the history of Australian cricket is more than 150 years old. And in this rich history, Australia has made many interesting records in this game.
Australia is by far the best team to play this game. For a decade or two, they were an unbeatable team. However, in the longest format, their records are just untouchable. Australis has two of the three largest test win margins in the red-ball format. And this article will feature Australia’s biggest partnerships in the history of test cricket.
Highest Partnership in Test by Australia
| Pair | Runs | Wkt | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman | 451 | 2nd | England | The Oval | 18 Aug 1934 |
| Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh | 449 | 4th | West Indies | Hobart | 10 Dec 2015 |
| Sid Barnes and Don Bradman | 405 | 5th | England | Sydney | 13 Dec 1946 |
| Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman | 388 | 4th | England | Leeds | 20 Jul 1934 |
| Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke | 386 | 4th | India | Adelaide | 24 Jan 2012 |
| Steve Waugh and Greg Blewett | 385 | 5th | South Africa | Johannesburg | 28 Feb 1997 |
| Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson | 382 | 1st | West Indies | Bridgetown | 5 May 1965 |
| David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne | 361 | 2nd | Pakistan | Adelaide | 29 Nov 2019 |
| Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke | 352 | 4th | Pakistan | Hobart | 14 Jan 2010 |
| Jack Fingleton and Don Bradman | 346 | 6th | England | Melbourne | 1 Jan 1937 |
3. Sid Barnes and Don Bradman (405 runs) vs England in 1946
The third highest partnership for Australia in test cricket was registered more than 80 years ago. It came against England in December 1946 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. England scored 255 runs in their first inning. Australia lost their first four wickets for 159 runs, but after that they had a huge 5th wicket partnership between Sid Barnes and Don Bradman. Both batters added 405 runs for the fifth wicket and scored a double century each.
Barnes made 234 runs with 17 boundaries, while Bradman also scored 234 runs with 24 fours. Australia declared their inning at 659/8 in 173 overs. Trailing by 404 runs, England got dismissed for 371 runs in their second inning. As a result, Australia didn’t need to bat second and won that game by an inning and 33 runs.
2. Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh (449 runs) vs West Indies in 2015
Australia recorded their second highest partnership in test cricket in December 2015. They did it against the West Indies in Hobart. Australia batted first and declared their first inning for 583/4 in 114 overs. They had a huge partnership for the fourth wicket, which was their second biggest in the test. Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh added 449 runs between them. Voges scored his career-best score of 269 not out off 285 balls, with 33 fours.
Marsh also hit a century and made 182 runs with 15 fours and one six. In reply, the West Indies got dismissed for just 223 runs in their first inning. Australia forced the follow-on with another 360 runs to go. In the second inning as well, the West Indies got bowled out for 148 runs and lost that game by an inning and 212 runs.
1. Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman (451 runs) vs England in 1934
Australia’s highest partnership test came almost a decade ago in a record-breaking game against England. It was the fifth test of the five-match series at the Oval in August 1934. Australia posted their fourth-highest test total of 701 runs in their first inning, largely because of a 451-run partnership for the second wicket between Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman. Ponsford made 266 runs with 27 fours, while Bradman scored 244 runs with one six and 32 fours.
In reply, England got all out for 321 runs. With a lead of 380 runs, Australia batted again and scored another 327 runs. They gave England a target of 708 runs to win. That was an impossible target to chase, and England flattered easily and got bowled out for just 145 runs. Australia won by a massive 562 runs, their highest and second-highest overall win.