Highest Team Score in Test Cricket

Highest Team Score in Test Cricket – Playing Test cricket is not everyone’s cup of tea. The longest format of the game demands player to show a lot of grit, resilience, determination and patience.

Highest Team Score in Test Cricket

Batting first and putting runs on the board has become a sort of norm these days in Test cricket. As it gives teams a clearer vision about how they need to approach the game. Over the years, many teams have posted big totals on the board to put pressure on the opposition but in some cases, the opposition has outplayed them even after big totals on the board.

Let’s look at the five Highest team scores in test cricket 

Sri Lanka – 952/6 runs

Although Sri Lanka may be in its reviving phase but they have been heavyweights in the early times. They are the proud owners of Highest team Score in test cricket. It was during the match against India in 1977 when the island nation posted the highest total in Tests.

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Batting first, India on account of centuries by Navjot Sidhu, Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammed Azharuddin posted a mammoth first innings total of 537 runs on the board. The total looked as it was too much but a triple century from Sanath Jayasuriya, double century by Roshan Mahanama and a century by Aravinda de Silva helped Sri Lanka post a total of 952 runs on the board. The match ended in a draw but saw history being created.

England – 903/7 

The Ashes series has seen many records being broken and created. But the series of 1938 saw the record of second Highest team Score in test cricket. The second-highest score in Test cricket was posted by England.

Batting first, the Three Lions on account of masterful 364 runs by opener Len Hutton, 187 by Maurice Leyland and 169 by Joe Hardstaff helped England post a big first-innings total of 903 runs on the board. They then thumped Australia and scripted a massive inning and 579 runs victory.

England – 849

England’s name on the list of Highest team Score in test cricket for the second time be much surprising, considering the heavyweights they are in the cricketing world. They posted the third-highest score in the history of Test cricket against West Indies in 1930.

England batted for two and a half days in the match against West Indies. Three Lions’ opener Andy Sandham smashed a sensational 329 runs and was well supported by Les Ames, who scored 149 runs and helped his side post a total of 849 runs on the board. The match ended in a draw as West Indies batted brilliantly to save the match.

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West Indies- 790/3 

West Indies cricket in the early 90s was dominant and beating them was an uphill task for any team. Their name in the list of Highest team Score in test cricket might not surprise you as. They posted the fourth-highest score in Tests against Pakistan in 1958.

After Pakistan posted a first-innings total of 328 runs on the board, it seemed that the match would go neck to neck. But West Indies replied in style and on account of Conrad Hunte (260) and Gary Sobers (365) 446 runs second-wicket partnership posted 790 runs on the board. Their first innings total then helped them win the match by an innings and 174 runs.

Pakistan- 765/6 

The last on the list of Highest team Score in test cricket is the Pakistan cricket team. The Asian nation in a match against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2009 achieved the feat and cricketing stage on fire. Batting first, the visitors declared their first innings for the score of 644/7 and it seemed that they would hand hosts an innings defeat.

But it wasn’t the case as Pakistan displayed a sensational batting display and on the back of Younis Khan’s triple century and a brutal 158 by Kamran Akmal posted 765 runs in the first innings. The match eventually ended in a draw but is in the hearts of millions of cricket fans.

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