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Younis-Yousuf pair set new record against India

December 10, 2007 22:15 IST

The pair of Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf on Monday made an entry into the record books as the most prolific pair to bat against India.

By the time Younis was bowled in Pakistan's first innings, trying to employ a reverse sweep against Harbhajan Singh, the duo had aggregated 1,372 runs in just nine innings - in which they have batted together against India - at a mind-blowing average of 171.50, moving ahead of West Indian pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, who had aggregated 1,325 runs in 30 innings against India.

Interestingly the two Pakistanis took only nine innings to obliterate the West Indian pair's record!

Out of nine occasions on which these two batted together against India, they were involved in six century partnerships and two fifty partnerships - indeed a mind-blowing performance.

Most prolific pairs against India:
Batsmen Inns Runs Hs Avg 100 50
Mohammad Yousuf & Younis Khan (Pak) 9 1372 319 171.50 6 2
CG Greenidge & DL Haynes (WI) 30 1325 296 45.68 2 6
Javed Miandad & Zaheer Abbas (Pak) 13 1137 287 103.36 4 3
Javed Miandad & Mudassar Nazar (Pak) 9 993 451 110.33 4 1
S Chanderpaul & CL Hooper (WI) 14 962 293 68.71 3 1
ML Hayden & JL Langer (Aus) 20 949 147 47.45 2 8
G Boycott & GA Gooch (Eng) 14 774 145 64.50 2 5
WM Lawry & RB Simpson (Aus) 9 753 191 83.66 2 5
ST Jayasuriya & RS Mahanama (SL) 3 671 576 223.66 1 1
MA Atherton & GA Gooch (Eng) 7 661 225 94.42 3 0
RL Dias & LRD Mendis (SL) 8 629 216 89.85 3 1
DC Boon & GR Marsh (Aus) 11 621 217 62.10 1 3
RB Kanhai & GS Sobers (WI) 11 609 173 55.36 1 5

Although the pair's average dipped from 185.71 to 171.50 after today's "failure", it still is the highest for any pair aggregating at least 1,000 runs against a specific country. The pair is well ahead of some of the great names in the game's history as is shown below:

Most successful pairs against a particular country:

Batsmen Opp Inns Runs Hs Avg 100 50
Mohammad Yousuf & Younis Khan (Pak) Ind 9 1372 319 171.50 6 2
DG Bradman & WH Ponsford (Aus) Eng 6 1012 451 168.66 2 1
DPMD Jayawardene & KC Sangakkara (SL) SA 8 1304 624 163.00 4 2
Javed Miandad & Zaheer Abbas (Pak) Ind 13 1137 287 103.36 4 3
ML Hayden & RT Ponting (Aus) SA 13 1135 201 94.58 4 6
B Mitchell & AD Nourse (SA) Eng 17 1300 190 86.66 4 6
JB Hobbs & H Sutcliffe (Eng) Aus 30 2452 283 84.55 11 9

Rajneesh Gupta