The highest 10th wicket partnership in Test cricket is 198 runs, scored by Joe Root and James Anderson for England against India at Trent Bridge in 2014. Their stand helped England recover from 298 for 9 and reach 496 all out.
The record is especially notable because Trent Bridge also hosted the previous record partnership, when Phillip Hughes and Ashton Agar added 163 runs for Australia against England in 2013.
Who Holds the Record for the Highest 10th Wicket Partnership in Test Cricket?
Joe Root and James Anderson hold the record with a 198 run partnership against India in July 2014. Root scored 154 not out, while Anderson made 81, helping England reach 496 all out.
Top 10 Highest 10th Wicket Partnerships in Test Cricket
| Rank | Batters | Partnership Runs | Team | Opposition | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Root and James Anderson | 198 | England | India | Nottingham | 2014 |
| 2 | Phillip Hughes and Ashton Agar | 163 | Australia | England | Nottingham | 2013 |
| 3 | Brian Hastings and Richard Collinge | 151 | New Zealand | Pakistan | Auckland | 1973 |
| 3 | Azhar Mahmood and Mushtaq Ahmed | 151 | Pakistan | South Africa | Rawalpindi | 1997 |
| 5 | Denesh Ramdin and Tino Best | 143 | West Indies | England | Birmingham | 2012 |
| 6 | Wasim Raja and Wasim Bari | 133 | Pakistan | West Indies | Bridgetown | 1977 |
| 6 | Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan | 133 | India | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 2004 |
| 8 | Tip Foster and Wilfred Rhodes | 130 | England | Australia | Sydney | 1903 |
| 9 | Ken Higgs and John Snow | 128 | England | West Indies | The Oval | 1966 |
| 10 | Johnny Taylor and Arthur Mailey | 127 | Australia | England | Sydney | 1924 |
| 10 | BJ Watling and Trent Boult | 127 | New Zealand | Bangladesh | Chattogram | 2013 |
1. Joe Root and James Anderson: 198 Runs
Source: India Today
England were 298 for 9 against India at Trent Bridge when Root and Anderson came together in 2014. Root scored 154 not out, while Anderson made 81 from 130 balls, taking England to 496 all out.
Anderson’s innings was his first Test half century and his highest first class score at the time. He batted for 230 minutes, the longest innings by time by a No. 11 in Test cricket, and his score ranked third highest by a No. 11 in Test history at the time, behind Ashton Agar’s 98 and Tino Best’s 95.
2. Phillip Hughes and Ashton Agar: 163 Runs
Australia were struggling at 117 for 9 against England in the 2013 Ashes Test at Trent Bridge when Phillip Hughes and debutant Ashton Agar began their record partnership. Agar scored 98 from 101 balls, including 12 fours and two sixes, while Hughes remained unbeaten on 81.
The pair took Australia to 280 all out and gave the team a first innings lead of 65 runs. Australia still lost the Test by 14 runs, but Agar’s 98 became the highest individual Test score by a No. 11 and the highest score by a debutant batting in that position.
3. Brian Hastings and Richard Collinge: 151 Runs
Source: NZC
New Zealand’s Brian Hastings and Richard Collinge added 151 runs for the tenth wicket against Pakistan in Auckland in 1973. Hastings scored 110, while Collinge contributed an unbeaten 68.
Their partnership remains joint third on the all time list, showing how a final pair can add a major total after nine wickets have fallen.
3. Azhar Mahmood and Mushtaq Ahmed: 151 Runs
Pakistan’s Azhar Mahmood and Mushtaq Ahmed matched the 151 run record against South Africa in Rawalpindi in 1997. Mahmood scored 128 not out, while Mushtaq added 59.
Their partnership helped Pakistan extend its innings and remains tied for third place among the highest tenth wicket stands in Test cricket.
5. Denesh Ramdin and Tino Best: 143 Runs
West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and fast bowler Tino Best added 143 runs against England at Edgbaston in 2012. Ramdin scored 107 not out, while Best made 95 from 112 balls, hitting 14 fours and a six.
Best’s 95 was a record individual Test score for a No. 11 at the time. Ashton Agar surpassed it the following year with 98 against England at Trent Bridge. The stand also broke West Indies’ previous tenth wicket partnership record of 106 runs, made by Carl Hooper and Courtney Walsh in 1993.
6. Wasim Raja and Wasim Bari: 133 Runs
Source: The Times Of India
Wasim Raja and Wasim Bari added 133 runs for Pakistan against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1977. Raja scored 71, while Bari remained unbeaten on 60.
Their partnership shares sixth place in the all time records and gave Pakistan valuable runs after the ninth wicket fell.
6. Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan: 133 Runs
Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan added 133 runs for India against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2004. Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 248 in the innings, while Zaheer contributed 75.
This remains India’s highest tenth wicket partnership in Test cricket, with Zaheer’s contribution helping India extend its total late in the innings.
8. Tip Foster and Wilfred Rhodes: 130 Runs
England’s Tip Foster and Wilfred Rhodes recorded a 130 run partnership against Australia in Sydney in 1903. Foster scored 287 in the innings, while Rhodes remained unbeaten on 40.
Their stand remains among the highest tenth wicket partnerships in Test history and is one of the notable last wicket records from the early years of international cricket.
9. Ken Higgs and John Snow: 128 Runs
Ken Higgs and John Snow added 128 runs for England against West Indies at The Oval in 1966. Higgs scored 63, while Snow made 59 not out.
Snow’s score was an important milestone for England’s No. 11 batters. Anderson later surpassed it with his 81 against India in 2014.
10. Johnny Taylor and Arthur Mailey: 127 Runs
Source: Cricmash
Johnny Taylor and Arthur Mailey put together a 127 run partnership for Australia against England in Sydney in 1924. Taylor scored 108, while Mailey added an unbeaten 46.
Their partnership is one of the oldest entries among the leading tenth wicket stands in Test cricket.
11. BJ Watling and Trent Boult: 127 Runs
New Zealand’s BJ Watling and Trent Boult also added 127 runs for the tenth wicket against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2013. Watling scored 103, while Boult contributed 52.
Their partnership matches the 127 run stand by Taylor and Mailey, giving both pairs a share of tenth place.
Trent Bridge: The Ground Behind Two Record Partnerships
Trent Bridge hosted the two highest tenth wicket partnerships in Test cricket in consecutive years. In 2013, Australia’s Phillip Hughes and Ashton Agar added 163 runs against England. In 2014, England’s Joe Root and James Anderson surpassed that record with 198 runs against India.
The 2014 Test also produced a major contribution from India’s final pair. Bhuvneshwar Kumar scored 58 and Mohammed Shami made 51 as they added 111 runs for the tenth wicket in India’s first innings. It was the first Test to feature century partnerships for the tenth wicket by both teams, and the first in which both No. 11 batters scored fifties.
The connection between the matches makes Trent Bridge a significant venue in the history of tenth wicket partnerships. Anderson had bowled against Agar during the 2013 record stand before becoming part of the record breaking partnership himself the following year.
Why Are 10th Wicket Partnerships Important in Test Cricket?
A tenth wicket partnership can add vital runs when a team is close to being bowled out. The last two batters must defend good deliveries, rotate the strike and take scoring opportunities without risking the final wicket.
Long partnerships can also tire bowlers and force captains to change their field settings. The stands involving Hughes and Agar, Ramdin and Best, and Root and Anderson show that the final pair can turn a difficult innings into a memorable performance.
FAQs
Joe Root and James Anderson hold the record with 198 runs for England against India at Trent Bridge in 2014.
Root scored 154 not out and Anderson made 81 during their record 198 run partnership.
Phillip Hughes and Ashton Agar held the record with 163 runs for Australia against England at Trent Bridge in 2013.
Tino Best scored 95 for West Indies during his 143 run partnership with Denesh Ramdin against England in 2012. Ashton Agar surpassed that score with 98 in 2013.
Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan hold India’s record with 133 runs against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2004.
Conclusion
Joe Root and James Anderson’s 198 run partnership remains the highest tenth wicket stand in Test cricket. Their record surpassed the 163 run partnership between Phillip Hughes and Ashton Agar, which was also made at Trent Bridge a year earlier.
The same 2014 Test featured India’s 111 run stand between Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami, making it one of the most remarkable matches for last wicket partnerships. These records show that even after nine wickets fall, a Test innings can still produce historic batting performances.