Australia is the oldest team to play Test cricket. They played the first ever official match at Melbourne Cricket Ground with England. Since then, Australia has grown stronger and stronger over the decades. This team holds numerous records in all three formats of the game. That is why they are the most successful team in the history of the game.
Whether it is a white-ball or red-ball format, the Men in Yellow have always dominated. The history suggests that this country has produced some legendary batters in the game. The greatest example of this is Sir Don Bradman, who is the only batter with an average close to 100 (99.96). Hence, we will also talk about one exciting record for Australia. Here, we will cover all the biggest openings for Australia in test format.
Highest Opening Partnership for Australia in Test
| Pair | Runs | Vs | Venue | Date |
| Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson | 382 | West Indies | Bridgetown | 5 May 1965 |
| Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor | 329 | England | Nottingham | 10 Aug 1989 |
| Michael Slater and Greg Blewett | 269 | Pakistan | Brisbane | 5 Nov 1999 |
| Mark Taylor and Michael Slater | 260 | England | Lord’s | 17 Jun 1993 |
| Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden | 255 | Sri Lanka | Cairns | 9 Jul 2004 |
| Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson | 244 | England | Adelaide | 28 Jan 1966 |
| Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden | 242 | West Indies | St John’s | 9 May 2003 |
| David Warner and Joe Burns | 237 | New Zealand | Brisbane | 5 Nov 2015 |
| Bill Brown and Jack Fingleton | 233 | South Africa | Cape Town | 1 Jan 1936 |
| Mike Hussey and Matthew Hayden | 231 | West Indies | Hobart | 17 Nov 2005 |
3. Michael Slater and Greg Blewett (269 runs) vs Pakistan in November 1999
Australia registered their third-highest opening stand in red-ball cricket in November 1999 against Pakistan. It was the first game of three tests in Brisbane. Batting first, Pakistan scored 367 runs in the first inning. In reply, Australia had a 269-run partnership for the first wicket between Michael Slater and Greg Blewett, and Australia made 575 runs in their first inning. They took a lead of 208 runs.
Blewett made 89 runs in that partnership. Slater made 169 runs, with 25 fours and one six. Trailing by 208 runs, Pakistan managed only 281 runs in their first inning in 74.1 overs. As a result, Australia had a small target of 74 runs to win. They did it with ease. Both openers added another unbeaten partnership of 74 runs, and Australia won by 10 wickets.
2. Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor (329 runs) vs England in August 1989
The second-highest opening partnership for Australia came in August 1989. It was the fifth test of Australia’s tour of England in Nottingham. After winning the toss, Australia batted first. Australia got off to a dream start. Both openers batted for more than five sessions and added 329 runs for the first wicket. Geoff Marsh scored 138 runs with 15 boundaries. On the other hand, his opening partner, Mark Taylor, scored an excellent double century.
He made 219 runs with 23 boundaries. Australia batted for two and a half days and declared their inning at 602/6 in 206.3 overs. It was an uphil task for England, but they failed with the bat. England got all out for 255 and 167 runs in two innings of the game. With this, Australia registered a win by an inning and 180 runs.
1. Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson (382 runs) vs West Indies in May 1965
The record for the highest opening partnership for Australia was recorded way back in May 1965 against the West Indies. It was the fourth test of Australia’s tour of the West Indies. The game took place in Bridgetown, with Australia winning the toss and deciding to bat first. In the first inning, Australia went on to score a huge total. It was one of the rare occasions when both openers scored a double century each.
Bill Lawry made 210, while skipper Bob Simpson made 201. Both openers added a record partnership of 382 runs. Australia declared at 650/6 in 189 overs. West Indies also batted well and made 573 runs. With a small lead of 77 runs, Australia declared their second inning at 175/4 and gave a 253-run target to the opposition. Chasing the target, the West Indies reached 242/5 and were only 11 runs behind. But the game got over due to time and ended in a draw.