Against all odds

A Test match is like a war. A team can lose the initial battles, heavily, but unless the enemy can sustain dominance over several duels, there is the opportunity to claw back and avert defeat or even emerge victorious. This week's List focuses on teams that recovered from major setbacks, and those that squandered huge advantages.

586 Winning after following on
Syd Gregory and George Giffen scored 201 and 161, their highest Test scores, as Australia amassed 586, the highest first-innings total at the time. England, following on after making 325, rode on Albert Ward's century and posted 437. A target of 177 seemed manageable given that the previous three innings had passed 300, but Bobby Peel took 6 for 67 in 30 overs as Australia collapsed for 166, ten runs short.

556 Dravid to the fore
Steve Waugh had failed to conquer his final frontier in 2000-01 and India threatened on his home turf when they had the better of the draw at Brisbane. In the second Test, Ricky Ponting ran amok as Australia piled up 400 on the first day. Australia closed on 556 before the Adelaide crowd were given a glimpse of what went on at Kolkata as Rahul Dravid (233) and VVS Laxman (148) revived India from 85 for 4 with a 303-run partnership. India had conceded a slender lead but Ajit Agarkar chose the perfect stage for a career-best performance and Australia were skittled for 196, 229 ahead. Dravid played sheet anchor and steered India to a 1-0 lead in the series.

Highest totals batting first in a lost match

Team	Runs	Opposition	Margin	Ground	Season	Scorecard
Australia	586	v England	10 runs	Sydney	1894/95	Test 42
Australia	556	v India	4 wickets	Adelaide	2003/04	Test 1673
West Indies	526	v England	7 wickets	Port of Spain	1967/68	Test 635
Australia	520	v South Africa	6 wickets	Melbourne	1952/53	Test 365
England	519	v Australia	5 wickets	Melbourne	1928/29	Test 180

45 A Billy Barnes special
Charlie Turner and JJ Ferris shot out England for 45, their lowest score till date. Australia struggled in their reply, as runs were sparse on a sticky wicket. Alec Bannerman batted for an hour without scoring as his more illustrious brother, Charles, was making his umpiring debut. Australia were dismissed for 119, 74 invaluable runs in front. Useful top-order contributions and some stubborn tail-end resistance propped England up to 184, in spite of Ferris taking a five-for. Chasing an inauspicious 111, Billy Barnes savaged the top order and reduced Australia to 61 for 6 and eventually they fell 13 runs short.

102 Waqar runs riot
The Faisalabad dead rubber turned out to be a shoot-out between Chris Pringle and Waqar Younis. Pringle, who later admitted to tampering with the ball because he was sure Pakistan were doing it, took 7 for 52 as Pakistan collapsed for 102. Waqar returned the favour with 7 for 76 but New Zealand acquired a 115-run lead. Shoaib Mohammad's 142 in the second innings helped Pakistan wipe off the deficit and set a target of 243. Aaqib Javed ensured that New Zealand's top-order struggled and Waqar blasted the lower-middle order to finish with 12 wickets and give Pakistan victory by 65 runs.

Lowest totals batting first in a won match

Team	Runs	Opposition	Margin	Ground	Season	Scorecard
England	45	v Australia	13 runs	Sydney	1886/87	Test 25
Australia	63	v England	7 runs	The Oval	1882	Test 9
England	75	v Australia	94 runs	Melbourne	1894/95	Test 43
England	76	v South Africa	53 runs	Leeds	1907	Test 94
England	92	v South Africa	210 runs	Cape Town	1898/99	Test 59

291 Australia's Colombo caper
Romesh Kaluwitharana made a spanking Test debut and his 132 off 158 balls was one of three centuries that took Sri Lanka past 500 for the first time and helped them gain a massive lead of 291 after a collective bowling effort dismissed Australia for 256. Sri Lankan largesse to the tune of 58 extras, and double-figure scores by all the Australian batsmen in the second innings set a target of 181. Sri Lanka were cruising and needed just 58 runs with eight wickets intact but a Greg Matthews-Shane Warne spin act triggered a spectacular collapse as Australia snatched their first win in Asia for nine years.

274 The Kolkata miracle
After a ten-wicket defeat at Mumbai, the prospect of more humiliation faced Rahul Dravid when he joined VVS Laxman at 232 for 4 after India were forced to follow on. What ensued was an underdog's dream as the pair batted and batted. Australia went wicketless on the fourth day and by the time Laxman finally fell the partnership had added 376 runs in 105.3 overs. India declared on the fifth morning setting a target of 384, and by tea, the match seemed headed toward a draw with Australia 161 for 3. But an inspired spell from Harbhajan Singh and Tendulkar's golden arm bowled India to a historic win as the last seven wickets fell for 46.

Biggest first-innings lead in a lost match

Team	Lead	Opposition	Margin	Ground	Season	Scorecard
Sri Lanka	291	v Australia	16 runs	Colombo (SSC)	1992	Test 1194
Australia	274	v India	171 runs	Kolkata	2000/01	Test 1535
Australia	261	v England	10 runs	Sydney	1894/95	Test 42
South Africa	248	v England	2 wickets	Centurion	1999/00	Test 1483
South Africa	236	v Australia	5 wickets	Durban	1949/50	Test 320

85 In affectionate remembrance of English Cricket...
The Test that started the Ashes began with England routing Australia for 63 on a tricky pitch, and though Frederick Spofforth took 7 for 46, England had managed a lead of 38 when they batted. Play began after a heavy shower on the second day and conditions were unsatisfactory with slippery footholds and a wet ball. Alec Bannerman and Hugh Massie made up the arrears but once bowling conditions improved, Australia collapsed, leaving England just 85 to get. At 51 for 2 and with WG Grace batting on 32, England looked set for victory but Spofforth, who during the innings break claimed that an Aussie win was possible, spat venom. England folded for 77 and a tradition was born.

Lowest target defended successfully

Team	Target	Opposition	Margin	Ground	Season	Scorecard
Australia	85	v England	7 runs	The Oval	1882	Test 9
West Indies	99	v Zimbabwe	35 runs	Port of Spain	1999/00	Test 1490
India	107	v Australia	13 runs	Mumbai	2004/05	Test 1720
England	111	v Australia	66 runs	The Oval	1896	Test 52
England	111	v Australia	13 runs	Sydney	1886/87	Test 25

418 A glorious dead rubber
Australia had the series wrapped up 3-0 and the rubber at Antigua turned into a one-innings showdown after both teams scored 240 in the first innings. Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer pounded the West Indian attack at more than five an over during their 242-run partnership in the second innings. West Indies fought back to dismiss the rest of the batsmen cheaply but chasing 417 needed a world-record effort. When Ramnaresh Sarwan, who made 105, and Ridley Jacobs were dismissed off successive balls, Australia needed just four wickets and had 129 runs to play with. Shivnarine Chanderpaul marshalled the tail superbly during his hundred but when he fell, 45 runs were still needed. But Omari Banks and Vasbert Drakes defied Australia for 12.4 overs and West Indies completed a record-breaking win.

Highest target set and lost

Team	Target	Opposition	Margin	Ground	Season	Scorecard
Australia	418	v West Indies	3 wickets	St John's	2002/03	Test 1645
England	404	v Australia	7 wickets	Leeds	1948	Test 302
West Indies	403	v India	6 wickets	Port of Spain	1975/76	Test 775
Pakistan	369	v Australia	4 wickets	Hobart	1999/00	Test 1469
West Indies	359	v Australia	3 wickets	Georgetown	1977/78	Test 822