They don't think it's all over

We wish records existed for the greatest number of players injured in a series; Australia's ongoing tour of India might have found a place. But they don't, and so we've explored something from the first ODI in Vadodara - where Harbhajan Singh finally reached 1000 runs - that caught Travis' attention. India's eighth-wicket partnership between Harbhajan and Praveen Kumar was worth 84 runs, about 28% of the target of 293 that Australia had set. So we've looked at which other lower-order partnerships (after at least six wickets had fallen) formed the highest percentage of the target during a chase. The Harbhajan-Praveen effort didn't even make the top 30 in ODIs.

One-day internationals

Doug Walters and Gary Gilmour v England, semi-final, 1975 World Cup
Australia's chase of 94 had gone horribly wrong and they were listing at 39 for 6 on a damp Headingley pitch. In walked Gary Gilmour, the wrecker of England's innings, at No. 8, to join Doug Walters, who had watched Chris Old bowl three batsmen in quick succession from the non-striker's end. Walters then proceeded to watch Gilmour throw his bat around. Gilmour was dropped by Tony Greig at slip with the score on 78, and went on to make an unbeaten run-a-ball 28 to lead Australia into the final. The Gilmour-Walters seventh-wicket stand had added 55, 58.5% of the target Australia needed. No lower-order partnership has scored a larger portion of the target since.

Michael Bevan and Paul Reiffel v West Indies, Sydney, 1996
Australia and West Indies contested one of the most memorable one-dayers on New Year's Day 1996, one that forged Michael Bevan's reputation as a finisher. Chasing 173 in 43 overs, Curtly Ambrose and Ottis Gibson had reduced Australia to 74 for 7 when Paul Reiffel joined Bevan. They added 83 for the eighth wicket, nearly 48% of the target, before Reiffel was dismissed for 34. Reiffel had been part of another rearguard with Shane Warne two years prior, against South Africa, but Australia had lost that match in Port Elizabeth. Bevan, however, ensured that result wasn't repeated. With four needed off the final ball, he successfully clubbed Roger Harper straight down the ground to finish unbeaten on 78. Bobby Simpson called it the best innings he had seen while chasing, but it was Reiffel who was Man of the Match for his 34 and 4 for 29.

Tests

Richie Benaud and Alan Davidson v West Indies, Brisbane, 1960
Only once in a Test match has a lower-order partnership contributed more than 50% of the target. Alan Davidson and Richie Benaud's effort came in the first-ever tied Test. West Indies had set Australia 233 to chase and Wes Hall had taken four wickets to reduce them to 92 for 6. Both Benaud and Davidson scored half-centuries and batted on until only 27 runs were needed in the last half an hour of the match. It was then that Benaud chanced a sharp single and Joe Solomon hit the stumps from midwicket to run out Davidson for 80. The pair had added 134 runs for the seventh wicket, 57.5% of the target. Australia needed six runs off the final over and Benaud became Hall's fifth wicket, off the second ball. Solomon scored another direct hit off the final ball, running out Ian Meckiff with the scores level.

Lance Cairns and Gary Troup v West Indies, Dunedin, 1980
This Test is best remembered for Michael Holding kicking down the stumps after an appeal for caught behind against John Parker was turned down during New Zealand's chase of 104. The hosts were soon left reeling at 73 for 8 by the pace trio of Holding, Joel Garner and Colin Croft, and pinned their hopes on Lance Cairns and Gary Troup, Nos. 9 and 10. The two slowly pushed the score to 95 for 8 at tea. After the addition of one run following the break, Holding grazed Cairns' stumps but didn't dislodge a bail. Cairns, however, was dismissed for 19, after a partnership of 27, which was 26% of the target, with the score on 100. Troup and Stephen Boock scrambled four off the final over, bowled by Garner, to give New Zealand a one-wicket victory. It led to West Indies' last Test-series defeat for 15 years.

Sachin Tendulkar and Manoj Prabhakar v England, Old Trafford, 1990
India were set 408 to win in a minimum of 88 overs on the final day in Manchester. However, Navjot Sidhu was out off the seventh ball off the innings, and though the batsmen maintained a steady run-rate, India were soon 183 for 6 and in danger of going 0-2 down in the series. Two-and-a-half hours of play remained when Manoj Prabhakar joined Sachin Tendulkar. England had a chance to dismiss Tendulkar on 10 but Eddie Hemmings dropped a return catch. Tendulkar went on to remain unbeaten on 119, the first of many centuries, and added 160 (39% of the target) for the seventh wicket with Prabhakar, who scored 67, to force a draw.

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