Small contributions, big results

The recent Test series between India and Australia featured a few instances when teams managed a big total though the highest individual score was low. In the first Test in Bangalore, India scored 360, where No. 9 Zaheer Khan's 57 was the highest individual score. In the third Test of the series Australia worked their way to 577 with the help of 50-plus scores from their top four and 112 from vice-captain Michael Clarke.

That innings does not appear in The List this week because of Anil Kumble's memorable Test century at The Oval in 2007. India's 664 in that match is the only total higher than Australia's 577 in Delhi to have a lower top score than Clarke's 112. All of India's batsmen reached double figures at The Oval, two made it to the 90s, and it appeared a new record would be established for the highest total without a century before Anil Kumble, aged 37, scored his first hundred in his 118th Test - the most matches for a maiden ton - in the company of the last man, Sreesanth.

It's an Indian XI that holds the mark for the highest total without a hundred. In Kanpur in 1976, Mohinder Amarnath top scored with 70 and even the No. 10, Bishan Bedi, managed 50 not out before India declared on 524 for 9 against New Zealand. The highest team total without a half-century is England's 315 against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1986. The highest score by a batsman in that innings was 47, from the captain, David Gower, but West Indies also conceded 59 extras.

In another famous India-Australia encounter, in Kanpur in 1959, India managed only 152 after choosing to bat, with Alan Davidson taking 5 for 31 and Richie Benaud 4 for 63. Bapu Nadkarni was the top scorer, with 25, and two other batsmen made 24. India, though, went on to win the game. Australia's lead was restricted to 67 after Jasu Patel took 9 for 69. The hosts made 291 despite Davidson's 7 for 93, and Patel took 5 for 55 and Polly Umrigar 4 for 27 to clinch a 119-run win, India's first over Australia.

The highest total in an ODI without a century is South Africa's 392 for 6 against Pakistan in Centurion in 2007. Jacques Kallis' unbeaten 85-ball 88 was the highest score in the innings, which featured three other 65-plus scores. The best total without a half-century came a year before. England made 285 chasing 319 against Sri Lanka in Manchester. Andrew Strauss, captaining the side, top-scored with 45 in an innings where eight of the top nine made at least 20. An India-Australia clash makes it to this list as well. Australia needed a win in Chelmsford to qualify for the semi-final of the 1983 World Cup ahead of India. At 65 for 3, India looked in trouble, and despite a best of only 40, from Yashpal Sharma, they still managed 247. Extras (37) was the next highest contributor. Madan Lal and Roger Binny bundled out Australia for 129, and India eventually went on to become world champions.

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