On This Day: Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid Forge Iconic 318-Run Stand Against Sri Lanka in ODI World Cup

Among these memories, one stands out as a symbol of India’s batting strength — the 318-run partnership between Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. This incredible stand came during the 1999 World Cup on 26th May against Sri Lanka. It remains one of the most iconic moments in Indian cricket and is still the second-highest partnership in ODI World Cup history. It reflects the class and dominance of Indian batting on the global stage.

India vs Sri Lanka: 1999 ODI World Cup

When the Indian team stepped onto the Taunton pitch on May 26, 1999, for their ICC World Cup clash with Sri Lanka, they put on a batting show for the ages, racking up 373/6 in 50 overs at a cracking run rate of 7.46. Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid were the stars, building a massive partnership that left Sri Lanka’s bowlers scrambling.

Things didn’t start perfectly. Opener Sadagoppan Ramesh got out for 5 runs off just 4 balls in the first over, clean bowled by Chaminda Vaas. But that brought Dravid to join Ganguly, and the two took over. Ganguly was on fire, smashing 183 runs off 158 balls with 17 fours and 7 sixes, at a strike rate of 115.82. He hit his fifty in 68 balls, his hundred in 119 balls, and reached 150 in 143 balls. Dravid wasn’t far behind, scoring a quick 145 runs off 129 balls, with 17 fours and 1 six, at a strike rate of 112.40. His fifty came in 43 balls, and his hundred in 102 balls.

Together, they put on 318 runs for the second wicket, just shy of a world record, until Dravid was run out in the 46th over thanks to a sharp throw from Muttiah Muralidaran. After Dravid’s exit, India wobbled a bit. Sachin Tendulkar, coming in at number four, managed only 2 runs off 3 balls before Sanath Jayasuriya bowled him. Ajay Jadeja scored 5 runs off 4 balls, and Robin Singh got a duck off 1 ball, both dismissed by Pramodya Wickramasinghe. India went from 324/1 to 349/5 in a flash. But captain Mohammad Azharuddin stayed cool, finishing unbeaten on 12 runs off 7 balls with a six, while Javagal Srinath was not out on 0. The innings ended with 21 extras, including 3 leg byes, 6 no-balls, and 12 wides.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers struggled big time. Pramodya Wickramasinghe was the best of the lot, taking 3 wickets for 65 runs in 10 overs at an economy of 6.50. Chaminda Vaas got 1 wicket but gave away 84 runs in 10 overs. Sanath Jayasuriya also picked up 1 wicket for 37 runs in just 3 overs. Muttiah Muralidaran, usually a game-changer, went wicketless, leaking 60 runs in 10 overs. Eric Upashantha gave away 80 runs, Aravinda de Silva 23 runs, and Mahela Jayawardene 21 runs in 3 overs, none of them taking a wicket. Sri Lanka’s choice to bowl first after winning the toss backfired as India’s aggressive batting and their sloppy fielding led to a huge total of 373/6, setting a tough chase of 374.

When Sri Lanka started chasing India’s massive 374-run target at Taunton on May 26, 1999, in the ICC World Cup, they were in for a tough fight. Their innings crumbled to 216 in 42.3 overs at a run rate of 5.08, handing India a 157-run victory. India’s tight bowling, led by Robin Singh, and sharp fielding kept Sri Lanka on the back foot. The chase got off to a shaky start. Sanath Jayasuriya was run out for 3 runs off 7 balls in the third over after a brilliant direct hit by Javagal Srinath. Romesh Kaluwitharana didn’t last long either, trapped lbw by Srinath for 7 runs off 15 balls. Marvan Atapattu fought back with 29 runs off 29 balls, hitting 5 fours, but Debasis Mohanty got him lbw in the 15th over.

Mahela Jayawardene managed just 4 runs off 5 balls before Anil Kumble dismissed him lbw, leaving Sri Lanka at 79/4 after 15.3 overs and in deep trouble. Aravinda de Silva gave some hope, scoring 56 runs off 74 balls with 7 fours, reaching his fifty in 63 balls. He and captain Arjuna Ranatunga, who made 42 runs off 57 balls with 7 fours, put on 68 runs for the fifth wicket. But Robin Singh turned the game, getting de Silva lbw in the 29th over and bowling Ranatunga in the 35th, leaving Sri Lanka at 181/6.

Roshan Mahanama hung in there for 32 runs off 45 balls, but Sachin Tendulkar ran him out in the 42nd over, crushing their hopes. The lower order fell apart fast. Chaminda Vaas scored 1 run off 4 balls, Eric Upashantha made 5 runs off 17 balls, and Muttiah Muralidaran got 4 runs off 3 balls, all taken out by Singh. Pramodya Wickramasinghe was left not out on 2 runs off 6 balls. The innings had 31 extras, with 4 byes, 12 leg byes, 7 no-balls, and 8 wides.

India’s bowlers were on point. Robin Singh was the hero, grabbing 5 wickets for 31 runs in 9.3 overs at an economy of 3.26, tearing through the middle and lower order. Javagal Srinath took 1 wicket for 33 runs in 7 overs, and Anil Kumble was tight, giving away 27 runs in 8 overs for 1 wicket. Debasis Mohanty also got 1 wicket for 31 runs in 5 overs. Venkatesh Prasad and Sourav Ganguly didn’t take wickets, conceding 41 runs in 8 overs and 37 runs in 5 overs, respectively. India’s fielding, with run-outs by Srinath and Tendulkar, sealed Sri Lanka’s fate. The early wickets and constant pressure meant Sri Lanka couldn’t keep up with the chase, leading to India’s dominant win.

Highest Partnerships in the ODI World Cup

In the ODI World Cups, some batting partnerships have stolen the show, with five epic stands topping the charts. The biggest was a jaw-dropping 372-run second-wicket effort by West Indies’ Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle against Zimbabwe in Canberra on February 24, 2015, in ODI #3612. They set a record that’s tough to beat, piling on runs with ease.

Next up is India’s Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, who smashed 318 runs for the second wicket against Sri Lanka in Taunton on May 26, 1999, during ODI #1463. Ganguly’s 183 and Dravid’s 145 powered India to a huge total, just missing the world record back then. Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan come in third with a 282-run opening stand against Zimbabwe in Pallekele on March 10, 2011, in ODI #3125, showing how openers can dominate from the start.

New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway also shone, putting together an unbeaten 273-run second-wicket partnership against England in Ahmedabad on October 5, 2023, in ODI #4658. They stayed glued to the crease, never giving up their wickets and Rounding out the list, Australia’s David Warner and Steve Smith racked up 260 runs for the second wicket against Afghanistan in Perth on March 4, 2015, in ODI #3623, proving Australia’s batting strength.