India openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul turned on the heat with a scintillating opening partnership of 172* runs during the first Test between Australia and India at Optus Stadium, Perth.
Both Jaiswal and Rahul are still unbeaten at the crease and look set for more runs on Day 3. During this partnership, they shattered various records one by one. From facing the most no. of balls to India’s highest opening partnerships in Australia, Jaiswal and Rahul were on fire in Perth.
Jaiswal and Rahul shattered the record books at Perth as their partnership grew along. Both have looked extremely solid and assured so far and have matched caution with aggression.
Highest no. of balls faced by Indian openers in SENA Test
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul have faced 346 balls so far in this partnership so far. It is the most by an Indian opening pair in a SENA Test match, surpassing the previous record held by Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik, who faced 337 balls against South Africa at Cape Town in 2007.
The pair of Manoj Prabhakar and WV Raman is third on this list with 270 balls, which they faced at Auckland against New Zealand in 1990. KL Rahul is on this list for the second time too. Rahul and Rohit Sharma faced 262 balls at Lord’s Test in 2021 against England and are fourth in this list.
Most balls faced by Indian Openers in SENA Test match
338b – 𝗝𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗹/𝗞𝗟 𝗥𝗮𝗵𝘂𝗹 (Perth, 2024)*
337b – W Jaffer/D Karthik (Capetown, 2007)
270b – M Prabhakar/W Raman (Auckland, 1990)
262b – Rohit/KL Rahul (Lord’s, 2021)#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/okRp6oF56v— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) November 23, 2024
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul need 19 runs to achieve this feat
Meanwhile, the pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul needs just 19 more runs to become India’s highest opening stand in Australia. The pair has added 172 runs so far and look set to add more runs on the third day.
The pair also holds the record for the highest Test opening stand in Australia since 2000. They have surpassed the previous partnership of 141 runs, held by Aakash Chopra and Virender Sehwag at Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2003.
Aakash Chopra and Virender Sehwag’s 123-run partnership in Sydney in 2003 is third on this list. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill’s two partnerships are fourth and fifth on this list respectively.
India’s highest opening partnerships in Tests
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul need just 19 runs to be India’s highest ever opening stand against Australia on these shores… 🤯
MORE 👉 https://t.co/DIQPf24pk8 pic.twitter.com/q4h3kaP6H8
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) November 23, 2024
It was an excellent stand between Jaiswal and Rahul in the second innings of the match. Earlier, India had taken an important 46-run first innings lead. They are 172-0 at stumps on Day 2 and lead by 218 runs with all 10 wickets in hand.