The first and definitely the most exciting format of cricket is Test cricket. Every day, every session, and every over brings something new to the game. That is the reason that the first dream for any player is to play red-ball cricket for his country. Because it is a real test of the strength and mentality of a cricketer, which shows during the five days of non-stop cricket.
The history of Test cricket has seen many extraordinary performances and incredible matches. But there are some matches that get registered in the record books. In this article, we will look at the most successful run chases in the history of Test cricket.
4. Australia chased down 404 runs against England in 1948
22nd July, 1948 was written in the history books for the third highest run chase in Test cricket. It was a match between Australia and England at Headingley, Leeds. England made 496 in their first innings and Australia also replied well with 458. The English team got a lead of 38 runs in the first innings. Then, coming to bat in the second innings, England declared at 365/8, setting the Men in Yellow the target of 403 runs to win.
It was an impossible target to chase those days. But guess what? Australia chased down the target with seven wickets in hand. For Australia, Arthur Morris made 182 and Don Bradman was unbeaten on 173* in the second innings to chase down the target. Both these batters added 301 runs for the second wicket to help Aussies reach to the target.
3. India chased down 406/4 against West Indies in 1976
It was a test match between the West Indies and India at Port-of-Spain. West Indies scored 359 in their first innings, with a century from Viv Richards (177). India could only manage 228 runs, giving the home team a first-inning lead of 131 runs. Coming out to bat, West Indies declared at 271/6, giving India a target of 402 runs to chase.
For the Men in Blue, that target was a mountain to climb. But a century from Sunil Gavaskar (102) and Gundappa Viswanath (112*) helped India to chase down the target of 406/4 in 147 overs. This was the highest successful run chase for the next 26 years.
2. South Africa chased down 414 runs against Australia in 2008
The second successful highest run chase was registered by the Proteas against Australia in 2008 at Perth. Australia made 375 in their first innings and South Africa could only manage 281 runs. The Aussies added another 319 runs in their second innings and gave South Africa a target of 414 runs to chase.
And chasing a target of over 300 is very difficult. But the Proteas did the impossible stuff. With a century from skipper Greame Smith (108) and an unbeaten hundred from AB de Villiers (106*) they chased down the target of 414/4 in just 119.2 overs. De Villiers won the “Man of the Match” award.
1. West Indies (418/7) against Australia in 2003
The highest and most successful run-chase in history was registered under the name West Indies. This was the match between the Caribbean team and Australia at Antigua Recreation Ground in 2003. Australia made 240 runs in the first innings and got the West Indies all out for the exact same score. With no lead, Australia came in hard and scored 417 runs in their second innings, with a century each from Justin Langer (111) and Mathew Hayden (177).
West Indies lost their first three wickets for 74 runs in chasing the target, but centuries from Ramnaresh Sarwan (105) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (104) helped them chase down the mammoth total and write their name in history. They chased down 418 with three wickets left.
Highest Run Chase in Test Cricket
| Date | Winner | Score | Against | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/05/2003 | West Indies | 418/7 | Australia | Antigua Ground |
| 17/12/2008 | South Africa | 414/4 | Australia | WACA Ground |
| 22/07/1948 | Australia | 404/3 | England | Headingley |
| 07/04/1976 | India | 406/4 | West Indies | Queen’s Park Oval |
| 03/02/2021 | West Indies | 395/7 | Bangladesh | Zahur Ahmed Stadium |
| 14/07/2017 | Sri Lanka | 391/6 | Zimbabwe | R Premadasa |
| 11/12/2008 | India | 387/4 | England | MA Chidambaram |
| 03/07/2015 | Pakistan | 382/3 | Sri Lanka | Pallekele Stadium |
| 18/11/1999 | Australia | 369/6 | Pakistan | Bellerive Oval |
| 31/03/1978 | Australia | 362/7 | West Indies | Bourda |