Test cricket is known as the game of patience. Over the years, the dynamics of this format have changed. Only one thing has remained constant: the team with the most runs wins the game. But in test cricket, it happens when both teams score big totals and, in the end, the game ends in a draw. We’ve seen many big totals in the game’s history, but the result in those games is extremely rare.
Either the second team plays exceptionally poorly. But if both teams score runs in their innings, more often than not the game ends in a draw. But because this sport is full of surprises, there are some run-fest matches with results in them. In this article, we will cover the list of games with the most runs in tests that have produced results.
3. England vs Australia (1723 runs) – Australia won by 7 wickets in July 1948
The third-highest run aggregate in a test match that ended in a result came way back in July 1948. It was the fourth test of the five-match test series at Leeds. Batting first, England made a big total of 496 runs in 192.1 overs. Cyril Washbrook (143) and Bill Edrich (111) scored centuries each. In reply, Australia also batted well. They made 458 runs. Neil Harvey (112) and Sam Loxton (93) as the top scorers. With a lead of 38 runs, England declared their second innings at 365/8.
Cyril Washbrook (65) and Denis Compton (66) made the most runs. England gave Australia a massive target of 404 runs. But what happened next was just exceptional batting. Chasing the target, Australia started well with a 57-run partnership. But after that, they had a massive 301-run partnership between Arthur Morris (182) and skipper Don Bradman (173*). Thus, Australia made 404/3 in 114.1 overs and won the game by seven wickets.
2. Australia vs England (1753 runs) – Australia won by 119 runs in Jan 1921
The second-highest run aggregate in a test match also came between these two teams. It was the game at the Adelaide Oval between Australia and England. Batting first, Australia got all out for 354 runs in 108 overs with the help of Herbie Collins’s 162-run inning. In reply, England made 447 runs and took a 93-run lead. Jack Russell made a brilliant century and made 135 not out. Frank Woolley (79), Harry Makepeace (60), and skipper Johnny Douglas (60) also made vital contributions.
Trailing by 93 runs, Australia went on to reach near the 600-run mark. They made 582 runs in 185.5 overs and three of their batters scored centuries. Charles Kelleway (147), Nip Pellew (104), and skipper Warwick Armstrong (121) all played good innings. As a result, Australia set a massive target of 490 to chase. Chasing the target, England also tried hard, but they could only reach a total of 370 in 106.2 overs and got all out. Thus, Australia won the game by 119 runs.
1. Pakistan vs England (1768 runs) – England won by 74 runs in Dec 2022
The highest match aggregate that produced a result in a test match occurred most recently in a test between England and Pakistan at Rawalpindi Stadium. It was England that won the toss and chose to bat. They smashed every Pakistani bowler on the opening day and made a record for most runs on Day 1 of a test. England ended the first day at 505/6. Their first inning ended on 657 runs with Zak Crawley (122 off 111), Ben Duckett (107 off 110), Ollie Pope (108 off 104) and Harry Brook (153 off 116) scoring centuries.
In reply, Pakistan also did pretty well and made 579 runs in 155.3 overs. For them, Abdullah Shafique (114), Imam-ul-Haq (121), and skipper Babar Azam (136) scored centuries. With a 78-run first innings lead, England made a bold declaration at 264/7 in just 35.5 overs, giving Pakistan a target of 343. Chasing the target, Pakistan looked good at 259/5, but they lost their last five wickets for just 9 runs and lost the game by 74 runs.
Highest Match Aggregates to Produce Result in Test Match
| Host | Team 2 | Runs | Wkts | Overs | Venue | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | England | 1768 | 37 | 388.5 | Rawalpindi | 1 Dec 2022 | ENG won by 74 runs |
| Australia | England | 1753 | 40 | 532.2 | Adelaide | 14 Jan 1921 | AUS won by 117 runs |
| England | Australia | 1723 | 31 | 549.4 | Leeds | 22 Jul 1948 | AUS won by 7 wkts |
| England | New Zealand | 1675 | 35 | 408.3 | Nottingham | 10 Jun 2022 | ENG won by 5 wkts |
| Australia | South Africa | 1646 | 40 | 500.3 | Adelaide | 7 Jan 1911 | SA won by 38 runs |
| Australia | West Indies | 1644 | 38 | 385. | Sydney | 14 Feb 1969 | AUS won by 382 runs |
| Australia | Pakistan | 1640 | 33 | 355.6 | Melbourne | 29 Dec 1972 | AUS won by 92 runs |
| Australia | England | 1619 | 40 | 473.3 | Melbourne | 1 Jan 1925 | AUS won by 81 runs |
| Australia | England | 1611 | 40 | 454 | Sydney | 19 Dec 1924 | AUS won by 193 runs |
| England | New Zealand | 1610 | 40 | 428.4 | Lord’s | 21 May 2015 | ENG won by 124 runs |