honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
Your best work yet, OS. 
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Cataloguing the best innings of X runs in test history
- Thread starter OverratedSanity
- Start date
OverratedSanity
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74 runs:
Victor Trumper vs England, 1904: Early 1900s duel between Trumper and Tyldesley on a bad pitch. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-england-2nd-test-62474/full-scorecard)
Ian Healy vs West Indies, 1995: Typical gritty Healy innings where he slowly manages to extend Australia's slim lead adding 150 with the tail. Hit a pretty sick six off Walsh late in the innings timestamped below for convenience (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...es-vs-australia-1st-test-63680/full-scorecard)
Dad Weir vs SA, 1932: The innings is nothing remarkable (although half your teams runs is nothing to sniff at). But the story behind his nickname is worth a read:
Axar Patel vs Australia, 2023: The most recent addition to the list from barely a month ago, this innings pretty much was the difference between an India win and a potentially drawn series. The partnership with Ashwin when India were staring down the barrel 7 down trailing by 130 scrambled Australia's brains to set the stage for their horror show of a sweepfest later on. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-australia-2nd-test-1348653/full-scorecard)
Winner:
Ian Botham vs Australia, 1979: A counterattacking 74 after walking in at 18-4, followed by a 4fer the same day to seal a 4-1 Ashes win. This kind of performance was pretty routine for peak Botham. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-england-5th-test-63224/full-scorecard)
75 runs:
Ian Bell vs NZ, 2013: A pet peeve of mine in 4th innings rearguards where the target is beyond reach is that innings that have fewer balls faced but more runs always get more credit than the innings that actually had a bigger impact on getting the draw i.e the one that wasted more balls. Prior's hundred meant he got the glory (tbf it was also because he was there at the end), but Bell batted out 90 more balls (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...and-vs-england-3rd-test-569245/full-scorecard)
Ben Stokes vs NZ, 2022: The game where the Bazball era began. Bairstow's blitz was so overwhelming that Stokes' better than a run a ball 75 went almost completely ignored.(https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...s-new-zealand-2nd-test-1276902/full-scorecard)
Rahul Dravid vs SL, 2001: A series in which Murali completely steamrolled India in Sachin and VVS' absence had one glorious day of defiance where Dravid and Ganguly pulled off an amazing 4th innings chase for India after Murali had seemingly won the match for SL with the bat. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-lanka-vs-india-2nd-test-63944/full-scorecard)
There was one inside edge and one close lbw shout, but otherwise it's complete mastery. Doesn't get much more clutch than a 4th innings chase against one of the two greatest spinners ever.
Winner:
MAK Pataudi vs Australia, 1967: Yeah he was already blind in one eye, and his team was 5 down for 25, but as if that wasn't difficult enough, fate upped the difficulty sliders even more by giving him a severe hamstring injury because of which he had to entirely shelve his front foot play. Still managed 75 and followed it up with 85 in the second. Imagine if he could actually see the ball.
(https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...tralia-vs-india-2nd-test-63011/full-scorecard)
Victor Trumper vs England, 1904: Early 1900s duel between Trumper and Tyldesley on a bad pitch. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-england-2nd-test-62474/full-scorecard)
Ian Healy vs West Indies, 1995: Typical gritty Healy innings where he slowly manages to extend Australia's slim lead adding 150 with the tail. Hit a pretty sick six off Walsh late in the innings timestamped below for convenience (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...es-vs-australia-1st-test-63680/full-scorecard)
Dad Weir vs SA, 1932: The innings is nothing remarkable (although half your teams runs is nothing to sniff at). But the story behind his nickname is worth a read:
Which is funnier because at 95 years, he was the oldest cricketer in the world at the time of his death. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...vs-south-africa-1st-test-62603/full-scorecard)
Axar Patel vs Australia, 2023: The most recent addition to the list from barely a month ago, this innings pretty much was the difference between an India win and a potentially drawn series. The partnership with Ashwin when India were staring down the barrel 7 down trailing by 130 scrambled Australia's brains to set the stage for their horror show of a sweepfest later on. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-australia-2nd-test-1348653/full-scorecard)
Winner:
Ian Botham vs Australia, 1979: A counterattacking 74 after walking in at 18-4, followed by a 4fer the same day to seal a 4-1 Ashes win. This kind of performance was pretty routine for peak Botham. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-england-5th-test-63224/full-scorecard)
75 runs:
Ian Bell vs NZ, 2013: A pet peeve of mine in 4th innings rearguards where the target is beyond reach is that innings that have fewer balls faced but more runs always get more credit than the innings that actually had a bigger impact on getting the draw i.e the one that wasted more balls. Prior's hundred meant he got the glory (tbf it was also because he was there at the end), but Bell batted out 90 more balls (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...and-vs-england-3rd-test-569245/full-scorecard)
Ben Stokes vs NZ, 2022: The game where the Bazball era began. Bairstow's blitz was so overwhelming that Stokes' better than a run a ball 75 went almost completely ignored.(https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...s-new-zealand-2nd-test-1276902/full-scorecard)
Rahul Dravid vs SL, 2001: A series in which Murali completely steamrolled India in Sachin and VVS' absence had one glorious day of defiance where Dravid and Ganguly pulled off an amazing 4th innings chase for India after Murali had seemingly won the match for SL with the bat. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-lanka-vs-india-2nd-test-63944/full-scorecard)
There was one inside edge and one close lbw shout, but otherwise it's complete mastery. Doesn't get much more clutch than a 4th innings chase against one of the two greatest spinners ever.
Winner:
MAK Pataudi vs Australia, 1967: Yeah he was already blind in one eye, and his team was 5 down for 25, but as if that wasn't difficult enough, fate upped the difficulty sliders even more by giving him a severe hamstring injury because of which he had to entirely shelve his front foot play. Still managed 75 and followed it up with 85 in the second. Imagine if he could actually see the ball.
(https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...tralia-vs-india-2nd-test-63011/full-scorecard)
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
That 2001 Ind-SL series was underrated. Very high quality cricket for a series lacking Sachin and VVS.
Victor Ian
International Coach
Now that we know the real answer, 9 needs to be revised.
Immenso
International Vice-Captain
From an NZ pov, Richard Hadlee had a very important 75 for us. In NZ's first ever test victory in England at Leeds 1983, in what was probably considered one of NZ's biggest victory of all time up to that point (still is). In a game where he famously didn't take a single wicket.
Wasn't the top innings scorer, not a contender to knock any of the other 75s off your list, apart from significance of the occasion for his team. Against a pretty good attack including Willis, Botham, Dilley.
Looking at scorecard is complicated by Edgar retiring hurt and returning (behind Hadlee). Came in at 169/4 and progressed it to 304/6. In first innings total of 377 that set up a 5 wicket victory.
Wasn't the top innings scorer, not a contender to knock any of the other 75s off your list, apart from significance of the occasion for his team. Against a pretty good attack including Willis, Botham, Dilley.
Looking at scorecard is complicated by Edgar retiring hurt and returning (behind Hadlee). Came in at 169/4 and progressed it to 304/6. In first innings total of 377 that set up a 5 wicket victory.
Brook's side
State Vice-Captain
Whatever Alec Stewart was on when that game in the West Indies was abandoned should be in. Got a feeling it was 9.
Brook's side
State Vice-Captain
Yes I was right. A Stewart 9*
WORST PITCH OF ALL TIME - JAMAICA 1998 West Indies v England 1st test - YouTube
WORST PITCH OF ALL TIME - JAMAICA 1998 West Indies v England 1st test - YouTube
ataraxia
International Coach
Top comment is OS lol!
thierry henry
International Coach
I was at this game and sitting directly above Bell when he walked off. My friend yelled out something like "Only half the job, Ian". I thought it was a pretty mild sledge but to my surprise Bell visibly mouthed "**** OFF" at us.
Gotta say I probably underrated the ironic humour deployed by my friend, given the grinding nature of the innings.
Spark
Global Moderator
I will never ever tire of watching this. Makes me laugh every single time.
OverratedSanity
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76 runs:
Rahul Dravid vs NZ, 2002: Vintage tough conditions classic by Dravid (although the pitch was less tough that the one in Hamliton where he scored a 39) with some gorgeous drives and cuts off Bond. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ealand-vs-india-1st-test-64020/full-scorecard)
Jonty Rhodes vs Australia ,1994: Took SA from effectively negative 13 for 5 to setting a target of 117 and ended up winning by 5 runs. Classic test match that is more remembered for Fanie de Villiers' heroics with the ball. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...vs-south-africa-2nd-test-63629/full-scorecard)
Tony Greig vs West Indies,1976: One of the all time single game batting performances in a loss. Followed up a high-pressure hundred in the first innings with a valiant 4th innings counterattack that got England close-ish (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-west-indies-4th-test-63166/full-scorecard)
Winner:
Roy Mclean vs Australia, 1953: Another pair of great counterattacks from the same game. 81 in 90 minutes in the 1st and 76 in 80 minutes to chase down 295 and seal one of the biggest shock drawn (2-2) series of the era. Before the beginning of this series, SA had played Australia in 30 tests, with the record reading 1 win, 6 draws and 23 losses. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...vs-south-africa-5th-test-62750/full-scorecard)
Rahul Dravid vs NZ, 2002: Vintage tough conditions classic by Dravid (although the pitch was less tough that the one in Hamliton where he scored a 39) with some gorgeous drives and cuts off Bond. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ealand-vs-india-1st-test-64020/full-scorecard)
Jonty Rhodes vs Australia ,1994: Took SA from effectively negative 13 for 5 to setting a target of 117 and ended up winning by 5 runs. Classic test match that is more remembered for Fanie de Villiers' heroics with the ball. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...vs-south-africa-2nd-test-63629/full-scorecard)
Tony Greig vs West Indies,1976: One of the all time single game batting performances in a loss. Followed up a high-pressure hundred in the first innings with a valiant 4th innings counterattack that got England close-ish (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-west-indies-4th-test-63166/full-scorecard)
Winner:
Roy Mclean vs Australia, 1953: Another pair of great counterattacks from the same game. 81 in 90 minutes in the 1st and 76 in 80 minutes to chase down 295 and seal one of the biggest shock drawn (2-2) series of the era. Before the beginning of this series, SA had played Australia in 30 tests, with the record reading 1 win, 6 draws and 23 losses. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...vs-south-africa-5th-test-62750/full-scorecard)
Last edited:
Shady Slim
International Coach
one of the best on the forum
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Jaf from Styris.
ashley bach
International Captain
Great read this thread, thanks OS for all your input.
One of the reasons I don't really search for old threads too much is that the good ones tend to re surface. Surprised to only see this now because it's a
real CW gem, particularly for numbers geeks like myself.
One of the reasons I don't really search for old threads too much is that the good ones tend to re surface. Surprised to only see this now because it's a
real CW gem, particularly for numbers geeks like myself.
ashley bach
International Captain
Curiously wandering what the highest test score never to be recorded is. Probably everything under 200 has been done so going to have an early
guess before some nerd comes up with the answer and say it's somewhere between 205-225.
guess before some nerd comes up with the answer and say it's somewhere between 205-225.
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
Did you mean the thread or is OS the best of the multis on the forum?
OverratedSanity
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Before moving on, a major correction needs to be made.
I forgot to include the actual best ever innings of 76 runs:
Dale Steyn vs Australia, MCG 2008: An innings that changed the course of the game, taking SA from a deficit of 140 to a lead of 40 by the time he was out after an epic stand with Duminy. Also took 10 wickets in the match and won them their first series in Australia. Arguably the most important innings ever played by a tailender and one of the ATG all round match performances. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...s-south-africa-2nd-test-351682/full-scorecard)
Also includes that hilarious Hussey drop which can be seen below.
I forgot to include the actual best ever innings of 76 runs:
Dale Steyn vs Australia, MCG 2008: An innings that changed the course of the game, taking SA from a deficit of 140 to a lead of 40 by the time he was out after an epic stand with Duminy. Also took 10 wickets in the match and won them their first series in Australia. Arguably the most important innings ever played by a tailender and one of the ATG all round match performances. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...s-south-africa-2nd-test-351682/full-scorecard)
Also includes that hilarious Hussey drop which can be seen below.