Australia is the most successful cricket team when it comes to the ODI World Cup. They are the only team with five ODI world titles in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015. Notably, they have won the World Cup in all the regions of the world. Apart from winning it, Australia also ended as runners-up in 1975 and 1996, where they lost to the West Indies and Sri Lanka, respectively.
In the 2011 World Cup, they reached the quarterfinals. That makes them the top favorite team when it comes to the ODI World Cup, right from the inaugural edition in 1975 up to the present. The Men in Yellow have played 85 games and won 61 of them in World Cup history, which is the most by any team. So, with so much domination, we will look at the list of highest partnerships for them in World Cup events.
3. Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh (207 runs) against Kenya in 1996 ICC event
One of the most successful pairs of brothers in the game of cricket is from Australia. Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh both served Australia as the captain of the men’s international team at one point. This pair has registered the third highest partnership. It was the 12th match between Australia and Kenya at Visakhapatnam. Batting first, Australia made 304/7 in their 50 overs.
Both brothers added a massive partnership of 207 runs for the 3rd wicket to help them cross the 300-run mark. Mark scored a brilliant century. He scored 130 runs off 128 balls, while Steve scored 82 off 88 balls. Chasing the target, Kenya could only manage 207/7 runs and lost the match by 97 runs. Mark Waugh was named “Man of the Match” for his century.
2. Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn (234* runs) against India in 2003 World Cup
As an Indian fan, this was the heartbreaking partnership that came in the final match of the 2003 World Cup. Australia faced India in the finals in Johannesburg, and India won the toss and chose to bowl first. But that decision cost them the title. Batting first, Australia made a massive total of 359/2 in 50 overs. The massive unbeaten partnership of 234* runs between Ponting and Damien Martyn just took the game away from the Indians.
Both batters remained not out and helped Australia reach a big total. Ponting scored 140* off 121 and Martyn 88* off 84. Chasing the target, India fell down like the pack of cards. Only Virender Sehwag made a significant score of 82 and India got all out for 234, losing the match and the title by 125 runs.
1. David Warner and Steve Smith (260 runs) against Afghanistan in 2015 ODI World Cup
The last ODI World Cup that Australia won was in 2015. The highest partnership for them in the same tournament was in a match against Afghanistan in Perth. Batting first, Australia broke a few of their own records in World Cup history. The Men in Yellow made a massive score of 417/6 in their 50 overs, their highest total in the World Cup.
For the second wicket, David Warner and Steve Smith added a big partnership of 260 runs for the second wicket, which is their highest for any wicket. At that time, Warner registered his highest ODI score of 178 and Smith made 95 runs. Then the Australian bowlers did their job and bowled Afghanistan out for 142, registering their biggest victory of 275 runs in World Cup.
List of Highest Partnership in ODI World Cup by Australia
| Player | Runs | W | Against | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Warner and Steve Smith | 260 | 2nd | Afghanistan | Perth | 2015 |
| Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn | 234* | 3rd | India | Johannesburg | 2003 |
| Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh | 207 | 3rd | Kenya | Visakhapatnam | 1996 |
| Micheal Clarke and Brad Hodge | 204 | 4th | Netherlands | Basseterre | 2007 |
| David Warner and Usman Khawaja | 192 | 2nd | Bangladesh | Nottingham | 2019 |
| Shane Watson and Brad Haddin | 183 | 1st | Canada | Bengaluru | 2011 |
| Rick McCosker and Alan Turner | 182 | 1st | Sri Lanka | The Oval | 1975 |
| Aaron Finch and Steve Smith | 182 | 2nd | India | Sydney | 2015 |
| Aaron Finch and Steve Smith | 173 | 3rd | Sri Lanka | The Oval | 2019 |
| Adam Gilchrist and Mathew Hayden | 172 | 1st | Sri Lanka | Bridgetown | 2007 |