Jason Gillespie played a significant part in Australia's remarkable comeback on day four of the second Test in Chennai on Sunday.
Coming out to bat as a nightwatchman on Saturday with Australia four wickets down and effectively only four runs on the board, Gillespie helped centurion Damien Martyn immensely to dominate Indian bowling attack so much so that the pair added 139 runs to the total.
This is the eighth (joint) highest partnership in Test cricket involving a nightwatchman as can be gauged from the following table. It will be interesting to note that Gillespie's contribution is the lowest by any nightwatchman.
Runs | Wkt | Nightwatchman | For | Vs | Venue | Season |
197 | 5th | Nasim-ul-Ghani (101) | Pak | Eng | Lord's | 1962 |
192 | 5th | MV Boucher (108) | SA | Eng | Durban | 1999-00 |
170 | 6th | WW Davis (77) | WI | Eng | Old Trafford | 1984 |
161 | 2nd | N Boje (85) | SA | Ind | Bangalore | 1999-00 |
157 | 3rd | H Carter (72) | Aus | Eng | Adelaide | 1911-12 |
155 | 3rd | AV Bedser (79) | Eng | Aus | Headingley | 1948 |
148 | 8th | MV Boucher (125) | SA | Zim | Harare | 1999-00 |
139 | 3rd | AL Mann (105) | Aus | Ind | Perth | 1977-78 |
139 | 5th | JN Gillespie (26) | Aus | Ind | Chennai | 2004-05 |
131 | 2nd | RC Russell (94) | Eng | SL | Lord's | 1988 |
129 | 2nd | DL Underwood (43) | Eng | Pak | The Oval | 1974 |
129 | 3rd | RR Jumadeen (56) | WI | Ind | Kanpur | 1978-79 |
127 | 8th | SMH Kirmani (101*) | Ind | Aus | Bombay WS | 1979-80 |
125 | 1st | JG Binks (55) | Eng | Ind | Bombay BS | 1963-64 |
125 | 2nd | Wasim Bari (85) | Pak | Ind | Lahore | 1978-79 |