New Zealand became the first team in history to win the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021, defeating India in the final at Lord’s. The Kiwis played their first ever game against England way back in 1930. But it took them another 26 years to win their first test, which came in 1956 at Eden Park against West Indies.
Overall, New Zealand is one of the top-ranked teams in the world at the moment. However, there have been occasions when they have come down under. Then there are some teams that have succeeded against them. That’s what this article will include, which we will cover. Here we will talk about the highest test partnerships against New Zealand in history.
Highest Partnership against New Zealand in Test
| Pair | Runs | Wkt | Team | Venue | Date |
| Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy | 413 | 1st | India | Chennai | 6 Jan 1956 |
| John Edrich and Ken Barrington | 369 | 2nd | England | Leeds | 8 Jul 1965 |
| Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane | 365 | 4th | India | Indore | 8 Oct 2016 |
| Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim | 359 | 5th | Bangladesh | Wellington | 12 Jan 2017 |
| Mushtaq Mohammad and Asif Iqbal | 350 | 4th | Pakistan | Dunedin | 7 Feb 1973 |
| Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis | 330 | 3rd | South Africa | Johannesburg | 8 Nov 2007 |
| Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis | 315* | 2nd | South Africa | Christchurch | 11 Mar 1999 |
| Waqar Hasan and Imtiaz Ahmed | 308 | 7th | Pakistan | Lahore | 26 Oct 1955 |
| David Warner and Usman Khawaja | 302 | 2nd | Australia | Perth | 13 Nov 2015 |
| Joe Root and Harry Brook | 302 | 4th | England | Wellington | 24 Feb 2023 |
3. Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane (365 runs) for 4th wicket in 2016
The third highest partnership against New Zealand was made by an Indian pair in October 2016 in Indore. It was made in the third game of the three tests. India won the toss and decided to bat first. In the first inning, India did well and declared their first inning at 557/5 in 169 overs. Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane added 365 runs for the 4th wicket and scored big centuries.
Rahane made 188 runs, and Virat scored a double hundred. Virat made 211 runs. India bowled out New Zealand for 299 runs and took the lead of 258 runs in the first inning. Team India batted again and declared at 216/3 to give the Kiwis a target of 475 runs. Chasing the target, New Zealand reached only 153 runs and lost the game by 321 runs.
2. John Edrich and Ken Barrington (369 runs) for 2nd wicket in 1965
England registered the second-highest test partnership, which came in July 1965 at Leeds. It was the final game of the three-match test series. England won the toss and decided to bat first. They batted for almost two days and declared 546/4 in 151 overs. John Edrich and Ken Barrington added a massive partnership of 369 runs for the second wicket to give their team a great platform. Barrington scored 169 runs with 26 fours in that partnership.
Edrich remained unbeaten and scored 310 runs, including 52 fours and five sixes. New Zealand batted poorly in both innings. They got dismissed for just 196 and 166 runs in two innings. England won that game by an inning and 187 runs to win the series 3-0. Edrich won the “Man of the Match” for his triple century.
1. Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy (413 runs) for 1st wicket in 1956
India registered their highest partnership in test cricket in January 1956 in Chennai against New Zealand, which took the first wicket. It was the final game of the five-match series. Batting first, India posted a big total of 537/3 in 177 overs and declared their first inning. Both Indian openers provided a good start and added to India’s highest partnership of 413 runs. Pankaj Roy made 173 runs with 12 fours in his inning.
Vinoo Mankad made his career-best score and scored 231 runs, including 21 boundaries. In reply, New Zealand got all out for 209 runs in 132 overs in their first inning. India enforced a follow-on and dismissed New Zealand against for 219 runs in their second inning as well. Thus, Team India won that game by an inning and 109 runs.