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Fifth best opening stand by Atapattu-Jayasuriya

A record 335-run opening partnership by Sri Lankans Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya on the second day of the second cricket Test Pakistan in Kandy on June 29, was the fifth-best recorded in Test cricket. It easily broke the Sri Lankan record of 159 for the first-wicket, set by Sidath Wettimuny and Ravi Ratnayeke against India at Kanpur in 1986-87.

The last occasion an opening pair figured in a triple century partnership was 11 years ago when Australians Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor put on 329 against England at Nottingham.

Here are the top ten partnerships for the first wicket in Test cricket.

TOP PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE FIRST WICKET IN TESTS

No	Pair	Runs	For	Vs	Season	Venue
1	V Mankad & P Roy	413	Ind	NZ	1955-56	Madras (Corpn.)
2	TW Jarvis & GM Turner	387	NZ	WI	1971-72	Georgetown
3	WM Lawry & RB Simpson	382	Aus	WI	1964-65	Bridgetown
4	L Hutton & C Washbrook	359	Eng	SA	1948-49	Johannesburg (Ellis Park)
5	ST Jayasuriya & MS Atapattu	335	SL	Pak	1999-00	Kandy
6	GR Marsh & MA Taylor	329	Aus	Eng	1989	Nottingham
7	JB Hobbs & W Rhodes	323	Eng	Aus	1911-12	Melbourne
8	Aamir Sohail & Ijaj Ahmed	298	Pak	WI	1997-98	Karachi (NS)
9	CG Greenidge & DL Haynes	298	WI	Eng	1989-90	St. John's
10	CG Greenidge & DL Haynes	296	WI	Ind	1982-83	St. John's
11	MC Cowdrey & G Pullar	290	Eng	SA	1960	The Oval

Note:
Sri Lanka's previous highest for the first wicket was the 159 against India at Kanpur between Ravi Ratnayeke and Sidath Wettimuny in 1986.