Presenting the pairs with most Test appearances together
England's Stuart Broad will retire from all forms of cricket after the conclusion of the ongoing 5th Ashes Test at the Kennington Oval. Broad, only the second pacer after James Anderson with 600 Test wickets, will bring an end to his 17-year-old career. The fast-bowling duo has been sharing the dressing room for over a decade. Here are the top five pairs in Tests.
Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid (1996-2012)
Over a decade after retiring, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar still leads the runs column. Team India's incumbent head coach, Rahul Dravid, also known as 'The Wall', has over 10,000 runs in both ODIs and Tests. The duo featured in 146 Tests together (1996-2012), the most by a pair in Test history. Tendulkar and Dravid share 24,480 runs in this regard (Centuries: 74).
Anderson and Broad (2008-2023)
England's fast-bowling duo Anderson and Broad featured in 138 Tests together. They make the most successful bowling pair in Test history, having scalped over 1,030 wickets together at under 27. Anderson and Broad recently went past Australia's Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in this regard (1,001 wickets). Notably, Anderson and Broad are the only two pacers with over 600 Test wickets.
At least 100 Test appearances together
As per Cricbuzz, Anderson and Broad make the only specialist fast-bowling pair to feature in at least 100 Tests together. Overall, this is the second such pair after Warne and McGrath, who played 104 Tests together between 1993 and 2007.
Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher (1998-2012)
South Africa's Jacques Kallis is among the greatest all-rounders across formats. He has over 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs, as well as more than 250 wickets each in the two formats. His compatriot Mark Boucher remains the only wicket-keeper with over 500 dismissals in Test cricket. The Proteas duo has featured 137 Tests between 1998 and 2012.
Dravid and VVS Laxman (1996-2012)
Dravid and VVS Laxman handed India several historic wins. Their momentous middle-order partnerships destroyed the greatest of bowling attacks. India's famous win over Australia in the 2001 Kolkata Test, where Dravid and Laxman shared a 376-run stand, is a testament to this. It remains one of only four Test wins after a follow-on. In 132 matches, the duo shared 19,136 runs at over 50.
Alastair Cook and Anderson (2006-2018)
Anderson, who turned 41 this month, made his Test debut nearly two decades ago (in 2003). While he is still going strong, this period saw the arrival of Alastair Cook, who went on to become England's most successful Test batter. To date, he is England's only batter with over 12,000 Test runs. Cook played 130 Tests along with Anderson between 2006 and 2018.
