Three pairs of active teammates who have never batted together
Cricket is indeed a game of uncertainty as no one can accurately predict what’s going to happen in a particular match, innings, or even a session of play. There have been days when teams are 300/0. At the same time, New Zealand once got bundled out for 26, the lowest-ever Test total to date. That’s how uncertain and unpredictable the game of cricket is.
Meanwhile, building partnerships while batting is a crucial aspect of the game. Quite often we have seen a single partnership, which is substantial, determining the course of the entire match. Cricketers, who have played a lot of matches together, tend to bat with each other on some occasions if not often. However, there are pairs of players who haven’t done that despite sharing the field numerous times.
Here, we look at 3 active pairs of players who haven’t batted with each other despite playing a lot of matches together!
Jason Roy, Adil Rashid – 139
Two of the vital cogs of England’s limited-overs team, Jason Roy and Adil Rashid have played as many as 139 international matches together. However, there hasn’t been a single game, where these two have batted together. This is because Roy is an opener and Rashid bats in the tail.
Hence, the latter only comes to bat when England are seven or eight down. By that time, Roy is usually gone and hence, these two haven’t batted even once in 139 international matches together so far.
Martin Guptill, Trent Boult – 141
New Zealand cricket has taken giant strides in recent years and Martin Guptill and Trent Boult deserve a lot of credit for the same. While Guptill torments oppositions with his blitzes in the top order, Boult makes the ball talk and takes wickets at regular intervals. Quite interestingly, these two have played 141 international matches together but didn’t bat together even once.
Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 141
India’s Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar also feature in this unique list. The duo has been a regular part of India’s limited-overs set-up for a while, and their record is also staggering. Dhawan tends to attack bowlers straightway while Bhuvneshwar makes an impact with his swing and accuracy with the ball. Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar haven’t batted once in the 141 international matches they have played together so far.