Mayank and Rohit stitched an impressive 317-run opening stand (AP)
After an impressive start to their debut as Test opening combination on day 1 of the first Test in Visakhapatnam, Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal piled further agony on the South African bowling attack on Thursday to stitch a record-scripting 317-run partnership. On a track that offered little to the pacers and with the spinners remaining ineffective throughout, Rohit added 176 runs to the partnership before being stumped out an hour before lunch on day 2 while Mayank scored his maiden Test century.
Here are some of the records that Rohit and Mayank scripted with their 317-run stand...
317 is the highest partnership for India for any wicket against South Africa in Tests, surpassing the previous record of 268 scored by Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid in 2008 against the same opponent at home.
2nd The score of 317 is the 12th-highest opening stand in Test history and second-highest for India after 410 scored by Sehwag and Dravid in 2006. It is also the second-highest opening stand by a debut opening pair in Tests.
3rd The partnership stand between Rohit and Mayank was the third 300-plus stand for India, 14th for any Test team and second against South Africa.
| Partners | Wicket | Runs | Opposition | Year |
| MA Agarwal, RG Sharma (INDIA) | 1 | 317 | South Africa | 2019 |
| Imrul Kayes, Tamim Iqbal (BDESH) | 1 | 312 | Pakistan | 2015 |
| ND McKenzie, GC Smith (SA) | 1 | 415 | Bangladesh | 2008 |
| R Dravid, V Sehwag (INDIA) | 1 | 410 | Pakistan | 2006 |
| HH Gibbs, GC Smith (SA) | 1 | 301 | West Indies | 2004 |
10th The partnership was also the tenth instance of both Indian openers scoring centuries in the same Test. While Rohit scored his fourth Test century and first as an opener in the format, Mayank notched up his maiden international hundred. This is also the first time in Test history that two openers other than from England and Australia have scored their respective tons in the same innings against South Africa in a game.
9 sixes were struck in the 317-run partnership between Rohit (6) and Mayank (3). This the first time Indian openers have struck more than 8 sixes in a single Test innings.
