A look at India's highest partnerships at The Oval (Tests)
What's the story
Across eras, Indian batters have produced several historic performances on English soil. The Oval, an iconic Test center in London, is known for its tough pitches and conditions. It has witnessed Indian batters play some marathon knocks time and again. This has resulted in two Test wins for India at Kennington Oval. Have a look at India's highest partnerships at this venue.
#1
Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan: 213 runs, 1979
In 1979, India came close to chasing a record 438 against England at The Oval. However, they fell 11 runs short (429/8) on Day 5. In what could have been a historic run-chase, India banked on their top three - Sunil Gavaskar (221), Chetan Chauhan (80), and Dilip Vengsarkar (52). Gavaskar, who entered record books, stitched a 213-run opening stand with Chauhan.
#2
Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul: 204 runs, 2018
On the 2018 England tour, India were in a similar spot during the Oval Test. However, this time, they suffered a top-order collapse (2/3), chasing 464. India were eventually down to 121/5. In came the 204-run stand between Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. Owing to their counter-attack, India raced past 320 on Day 5. However, India's resistance ended as they perished on 345.
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Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar: 153 runs, 1979
In the aforementioned 1979 Oval Test, Gavaskar also added a 153-run stand with Vengsarkar. It occupies the third spot on this elite list. The duo took India past 350 during the run-chase.
#4
Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara: 153 runs, 2021
One of India's two Test wins at The Oval came in 2021 under Virat Kohli. Rohit Sharma's second-innings ton (127) played a crucial role in the same. He stood tall after India faced a 99-run deficit. During the second innings, Rohit added a 153-run stand with Cheteshwar Pujara (61). This helped India reach 466. India later won the match by 157 runs.