Cricket is a game of numbers, and the team with the better numbers in a game will win. A team that scores higher will win. But in test cricket, a team with the most runs can put more pressure on the opposition. Over the years, we have seen teams try to score as many runs as possible in their batting inning.
And the record suggests that most runs are scored in the second inning of a game. In this article, we will cover the highest team total ever scored during the second inning of a test match. Interestingly, the highest ever test total was made in the second innings only.
Highest 2nd inning Total in Test Cricket
| Team | Score | Against | Venue | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 952/6d | India | Colombo (RPS) | 2 Aug 1997 | Match Drawn |
| England | 823/7d | Pakistan | Multan | 7 October 2024 | |
| West Indies | 790/3 d | Pakistan | Kingston | 26 Feb 1958 | WI won by an inning & 174 runs |
| Pakistan | 765/6 d | Sri Lanka | Karachi | 21 Feb 2009 | Match Drawn |
| Sri Lanka | 760/7 d | India | Ahmedabad | 16 Nov 2009 | Match Drawn |
| India | 759/7 d | England | Chennai | 16 Dec 2016 | IND won by an inning & 75 runs |
| Australia | 758/8 d | West Indies | Kingston | 11 Jun 1955 | AUS won by an inning & 82 runs |
| Sri Lanka | 756/5 d | South Africa | Colombo (SSC) | 27 Jul 2006 | SL won by an inning & 153 runs |
| West Indies | 749/9 d | England | Bridgetown | 26 Feb 2009 | Match Drawn |
| West Indies | 747 | South Africa | St John’s | 29 Apr 2005 | Match Drawn |
| Sri Lanka | 730/6 d | Bangladesh | Mirpur | 27 Jan 2014 | SL won by an inning & 248 runs |
4. Pakistan (765/6 d) vs Sri Lanka in Feb 2009
Pakistan’s highest test total came in the second inning of the game. It is registered against Sri Lanka, which came at Karachi Stadium in February 2009. It was the first test of the series, and Sri Lanka batted first after winning the toss. Sri Lanka had a terrific batting performance, and two Sri Lankan batters scored a double century. Skipper Mahela Jayawardene (240) and Thilan Samaraweera (231) helped Sri Lanka declare at 644/7 in 155.2 overs.
It was a huge total to chase, and Pakistan needed a tremendous batting performance in their inning. And that’s what happened. Skipper Younis Khan went on to score a triple century and make 313; Kamran Akmal scored 158 runs; and Pakistan went on to score their highest total in the longest format. Pakistan declared at 765/6 in 248.5 overs with a lead of 121. This was the third-highest test total in a second inning. Sri Lanka were at 144/5 when the game ended in a draw.
3. West Indies (790/3 d) vs Pakistan in Feb 1958
West Indies has scored the second highest second inning total in a test. It was registered against Pakistan in February 1958 at the Kingston Cricket Ground. In this game, Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat. Batting first, they made 328 runs in 102 overs, with a century from Imtiaz Ahmed (122). In reply, the West Indies scored their highest test total. Opener Conrad Hunte gave them a brilliant start and scored a double century.
He made 260 runs while Garry Sobers scored his career best score. He made an unbeaten triple century and scored 365 runs. As a result, West Indies scored and declared at 790/3 in 208.1 overs, the fourth-highest test total in history. West Indies took a lead of 462 runs. Pakistan got dismissed for 288 runs in their second inning and lost the game by an inning and 174 runs.
2. England 823/7 d vs Pakistan in October 2024
This is the second time a team have scored more than 800 runs in a Test Match. England Broke all their previous records and made 823 runs against Pakistan in Pakistan.
1. Sri Lanka (952/6 d) vs India in Aug 1997
The highest test total in the history of the game came in the second inning of a test. It came when Sri Lanka took on India in August 1997 at Colombo. It was India that won the toss and batted first. India batted really well in their first inning and went on to play for almost two days. They declared at 537/8 d in 167.3 overs. Three Indian batters scored centuries.
Navjot Sidhu (111), skipper Sachin Tendulkar (143), and Mohammad Azharuddin (126) made centuries. But what happened next was just exceptional. In reply, Sri Lanka batted for next three days and registered the highest ever test total. Sri Lanka declared at 952/6 in 271 overs, and the game ended in a draw. Sanath Jayasuriya (340), Roshan Mahanama (225), and Aravinda de Silva (126) scored big centuries.
Innings Wise Highest Total
| 1 | Highest Test Score in 1st Innings |
| 2 | Highest Test Score in 2nd Innings |
| 3 | Highest Test Score in 3rd Innings |
| 4 | Highest Test Score in 4th Innings |