Test cricket is a game of patience. Whether you are a batsman or a bowler, it takes a lot from you. Five-day cricket is always interesting because the game can change with the passage of time. And with so much, we have seen some great scores made in a match. The highest score for a batsman in an innings is 400*, which was made by Brain Lara.
But do you know how many runs a bowler has conceded? A bowler conceding more than 150+ runs is considered a tough performance. But in history, there are a few instances when a bowler has given away more than 250+ runs in one innings. So, in this article, we will discuss the most expensive spells by a bowler in the history of Test cricket.
3. Tommy Scott (5/266 in 80.2 overs) against England at Kingston
The third most expensive spell is under the name of a West Indian bowler, Tommy Scott. This match also saw the third highest innings total in Test matches. It was the final test of a four-match series between the West Indies and England at Kingston. Batting first, England made a massive score of 849 runs in 258.2 overs. Andy Sandham made a triple century and scored 325 runs, while Les Ames scored 149 runs.
Tommy Scott bowled 80.2 overs and took five wickets in 258 overs, but he also gave up 266 runs, making him the third highest run conceded in an innings. In reply, the West Indies got all out for 286 runs. Leading by 563 runs, England batted again and scored another 272/2 before declaring. The West Indies got the target of 836 runs, but they batted well and were at 408/5 in 164.3 overs when the match was called a draw.
2. Rajesh Chauhan (1/276 in 78 overs) against Sri Lanka at Colombo (RPS)
This was another record-breaking match. Almost 1500 runs were scored in this game in five days, only two innings were played, and in the end, it ended in a draw. It was the first test of the two-match series between India and Sri Lanka. Batting first, India made a big total of 537/8 and declared their first innings in 167.3 overs. Navjot Sidhu (111), Sachin Tendulkar (143) and Mohammad Azharuddin (126) scored centuries.
In reply, Sri Lanka batted for the next three days, played 271 overs, and went on to score the highest total ever made in test cricket. Sri Lanka made 952/6 with Sanath Jayasuriya (340) scoring a triple century. Roshan Mahanama (225) also made a double century, while Aravinda de Silva scored 126 runs. For India, two bowlers conceded over 200 runs and one gave away 195 runs. But it was Rajesh Chauhan who bowled 78 overs and took one wicket for 276 runs, including 8 maidens.
1. Chuck Fleetwood-Smith (1/298 in 87 overs) against England (Highest ever in Test cricket)
The highest runs conceded came against England in the match that saw the second highest innings total. It was a match between Australia and England at The Oval in August 1938. England won the toss and chose to bat first. They made a mammoth total of 903/7 in 335.2 overs after batting for almost four days. Leonard Hutton was the highest scorer, who made 364 runs. Both Maurice Leyland (187) and Joe Hardstaff (169) also made their respective centuries.
With bowling for almost four days, all the Australian bowlers bowled their hearts out. Chuck Fleetwood-Smith bowled the maximum number of overs. He bowled 87 overs, took one wicket and gave away 298 runs to become the bowler with the most runs conceded in test cricket. In response, Australia made 201 in their first innings and 123 in their second. As a result, England won that match by an innings and 579 runs.
List of Most Runs conceded in an Innings at Test
| Player | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ | Team | Against | Ground | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck Fleetwood-Smith | 87 | 298 | 1 | 3.42 | Australia | England | The Oval | 20 Aug 1938 |
| Rajesh Chauhan | 78 | 276 | 1 | 3.53 | India | Sri Lanka | Colombo | 2 Aug 1997 |
| Tommy Scott | 80.2 | 266 | 5 | 3.31 | Pakistan | England | Kingston | 3 Apr 1930 |
| Khan Mohammad | 54 | 259 | 0 | 4.79 | Pakistan | West Indies | Kingston | 26 Feb 1958 |
| Fazal Mahmood | 85.2 | 247 | 2 | 2.89 | Pakistan | West Indies | Kingston | 26 Feb 1958 |
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz | 49 | 246 | 2 | 5.02 | Bangladesh | New Zealand | Hamilton | 28 Feb 2019 |
| Rangana Herath | 53.3 | 240 | 3 | 4.48 | Sri Lanka | India | Brabourne | 2 Dec 2009 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq | 50 | 237 | 3 | 4.74 | Pakistan | South Africa | Cape Town | 2 Jan 2003 |
| Zahid Mahmood | 33 | 235 | 4 | 7.12 | PAK | ENG | Rawalpindi | 1 Dec 2022 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq | 70 | 229 | 1 | 3.27 | New Zealand | Pakistan | Auckland | 24 Feb 1989 |
| Stephen Boock | 82 | 228 | 5 | 2.78 | India | West Indies | Kingston | 28 Mar 1953 |