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Sydney's little niche in history

We turn the spotlight on the highest innings totals in Test defeats



Sachin Tendulkar's century pushed India's total in the second innings of the match to 532, but India still lost © Getty Images
The Sydney Test has blown up into a cricket war with the spirit of the game being questioned, but the List isn't interested in poor umpiring and accusations of racism. We've looked at the game - one which had centurions on each of the five days - and noticed that India lost despite making 532, a sizeable score by any standard, in their first innings. So our theme this week is teams that have scored the most runs in each innings of a Test they went on to lose. The Indian effort at the SCG ranks fourth among the highest totals in the second innings of such matches.
The top two second-innings totals in defeats - and five out of the top ten - were also scored against Australia. Pakistan replied to Australia's 441 for 5 at the MCG in 1972 with 574 for 8 in their first innings. Then Paul Sheahan and John Benaud scored hundreds in the second innings to set the visitors a target of 293 with five and a half hours remaining on the final day. Pakistan lasted only 57.5 overs, and were dismissed for 200, giving Australia a 2-0 lead in the three Test series with an hour to spare.
A more impressive Australian fight-back, however, came at the SSC in Colombo in 1992, where Sri Lanka went past 500 for the first time, after 37 Tests, to secure a massive first-innings lead of 291. A gritty batting performance - all the Australian batsmen reached double figures, and four scored half-centuries - helped wipe out the deficit for the loss of five wickets and set a target of 181. Chances of an Australian victory, however, looked highly unlikely when Aravinda de Silva struck 37 off 32 balls to lead Sri Lanka to 127 for 2 in the run-chase. However, his dismissal triggered a collapse and Sri Lanka lost their last eight wickets for 37 runs and fell 16 short of the target. They had to wait another seven years before they beat Australia for the first time in a Test.

Most runs in the 2nd match innings of a lost match
Team Score Opposition Margin GroundSeason Scorecard
Pakistan 574/8dv Australia 92 runs Melbourne 1972/73 Test 705
Sri Lanka 547/8d v Australia 16 runs Colombo (SSC)1992 Test 1194
Pakistan 538 v England167 runs Leeds 2006 Test 1813
India532 v Australia 122 runs Sydney 2007/08 Test 1857
South Africa 506 v Australia 89 runs Melbourne1910/11 Test 112
Pakistan 504 v England0 refused The Oval 2006 Test 1814
England479 v Australia 81 runs Melbourne 1924/25 Test 159
Australia 465 v South Africa 38 runs Adelaide1910/11 Test 113
India 454 v England247 runs Lord's 1990 Test 1148
India449 v Pakistan 168 runs Bangalore 2004/05 Test 1743
England 447 v Australia 119 runs Adelaide1920/21 Test 137
England 435 v West Indies231 runs The Oval 1976 Test 781
England432 v Australia inns & 25 runs The Oval 2001 Test 1558
England 430 v Australia 210 runs Leeds1989 Test 1121
South Africa 419 v England77 runs Johannesburg 2004/05 Test 1734
England419/9d v South Africa 71 runs Nottingham 1951 Test 334
Australia 419 v India 59 runs Melbourne1980/81 Test 895
Australia 419 v England106 runs Adelaide 1994/95 Test 1284
England418 v Pakistan 22 runs Multan 2005/06 Test 1770
West Indies 416 v England 210 runs Lord's2004 Test 1707
Click here for lowest second-innings totals in a Test win.
The Adelaide Oval has been the stage of the two highest first-innings totals in Test defeats. In 2003-04, Australia piled up 556 at the breakneck run-rate of 4.37 an over and gained a slender lead of 33 after Rahul Dravid's 233 led India to 523. A collapse in Australia's second innings - Ajit Agarkar claimed 6 for 41 - left India with 230 to chase, which they accomplished with four wickets in hand. In 2006-07 it was Australia who fought back after conceding 551 to England in the first innings. Even though England had a first-innings lead of 38, their choke in the second, for 129, left Australia with an easy 168 to chase.
Most runs in the 1st match innings of a lost match
Team Score Opposition Margin GroundSeason Scorecard
Australia 586v England 10 runs Sydney 1894/95 Test 42
Australia 556 v India 4 wickets Adelaide2003/04 Test 1673
England 551/6d v Australia6 wickets Adelaide 2006/07 Test 1819
West Indies526/7d v England 7 wickets Port of Spain 1967/68 Test 635
Australia 520 v South Africa 6 wickets Melbourne1952/53 Test 365
England 519 v Australia5 wickets Melbourne 1928/29 Test 180
England496 v Australia 7 wickets Leeds 1948 Test 302
Australia 490 v West Indies 1 wickets Bridgetown1998/99 Test 1453
South Africa 484 v England9 wickets The Oval 2003 Test 1659
South Africa451/9d v Australia 8 wickets Sydney 2005/06 Test 1780
West Indies 448 v Sri Lanka 10 wickets Galle2001/02 Test 1567
Australia 447 v England6 wickets Leeds 2001 Test 1556
Australia445 v India 171 runs Kolkata 2000/01 Test 1535
England 445 v Sri Lanka 10 wickets The Oval1998 Test 1423
Australia 435 v England8 wickets Sydney 1932/33 Test 224
New Zealand433 v Australia 9 wickets Christchurch 2004/05 Test 1739
Australia 429 v West Indies 10 wickets Bridgetown1983/84 Test 986
Bangladesh 427 v Australia3 wickets Fatullah 2005/06 Test 1797
England425 v Australia 7 wickets Lord's 1930 Test 195
India 424 v Australia 8 wickets Bangalore1997/98 Test 1413
Click here for lowest first-innings totals in a Test win.
The largest third-innings total in a losing cause was scored at Headingley in 1967, after India had conceded so much ground to England in the first innings that the gap was too large to bridge. Geoffrey Boycott was dropped after this Test, though he scored 246 off 555 balls out of England's 550 for 4, because, as Wisden reported, of his "lack of enterprise". India were asked to follow on after they were dismissed for 164 and even though MAK Pataudi's 148 led India's fightback, their 510 in the second innings set England a target of only 125.

Most runs in the 3rd match innings of a lost match
Team Score Opposition Margin GroundSeason Scorecard
India 510v England 6 wickets Leeds 1967 Test 618
Australia 485 v England 5 wickets Sydney1903/04 Test 78
Australia 477 v England9 wickets Birmingham 1997 Test 1368
Australia476 v England 7 wickets Adelaide 1911/12 Test 118
South Africa 473 v Australia 4 wickets Cape Town2001/02 Test 1593
India 465 v Pakistan8 wickets Lahore 1978/79 Test 832
South Africa452 v Australia 10 wickets Sydney 2001/02 Test 1582
England 441 v Australia 8 wickets Nottingham1948 Test 299
West Indies 439 v Australia3 wickets Georgetown 1977/78 Test 822
England436 v West Indies 10 wickets Nottingham 1950 Test 325
South Africa 434 v Sri Lanka inns & 153 runsColombo (SSC) 2006 Test 1810
India 422v West Indies 7 wickets Port of Spain 1961/62 Test 528
Australia 417 v West Indies 3 wickets St John's2002/03 Test 1645
England 417 v South Africainns & 92 runs Lord's 2003 Test 1653
New Zealand 413 v England 9 wickets Birmingham 1965Test 591
India 412 v England 9 wicketsChennai 1984/85 Test 1008
Australia 408v England 9 wickets Sydney 1897/98 Test 53
Sri Lanka 406 v Pakistan 6 wickets Karachi2004/05 Test 1719
South Africa 401 v Australia7 wickets Sydney 1910/11 Test 115
West Indies398 v Australia 9 wickets Georgetown 2002/03 Test 1638
Click here for lowest third-innings totals in a Test win.
Nathan Astle's spectacular 222 off 168 balls, the fastest double-century in Tests, led New Zealand to 451 in the final innings against England in Christchurch in 2002, the highest fourth-innings total in a Test loss. New Zealand were chasing 550 and Astle added 118 runs with Chris Cairns, who was batting at No. 11 because of an injury, to take New Zealand from 333 for 9 to within 98 runs of victory, before he was dismissed.

Most runs in the 4th match innings of a lost match
Team ScoreOpposition Margin Ground Season Scorecard
New Zealand 451 v England 98 runs Christchurch2001/02 Test 1594
India 445 v Australia47 runs Adelaide 1977/78 Test 816
New Zealand440 v England 38 runs Nottingham 1973 Test 722
England 417 v Australia 45 runs Melbourne1976/77 Test 800
England 411 v Australia193 runs Sydney 1924/25 Test 158
Sri Lanka410 v Australia 96 runs Hobart 2007/08 Test 1847
Australia 402 v England 103 runs Manchester1981 Test 907
India 397 v England170 runs Lord's 2002 Test 1610
West Indies394 v England 60 runs Manchester 2007 Test 1835
India 376 v England 171 runs Manchester1959 Test 477
England 370 v Australia119 runs Adelaide 1920/21 Test 137
England370 v Australia 277 runs Brisbane 2006/07 Test 1817
England 363 v Australia 11 runs Adelaide1924/25 Test 160
India 355 v Australia39 runs Brisbane 1967/68 Test 626
West Indies352 v Australia 382 runs Sydney 1968/69 Test 646
England 350 v Australia 206 runs Perth2006/07 Test 1821
Sri Lanka 348 v Australia173 runs Hobart 1989/90 Test 1133
New Zealand345 v England 165 runs Nottingham 1983 Test 960
Australia 339 v South Africa 38 runs Adelaide1910/11 Test 113
Australia 336 v England12 runs Adelaide 1928/29 Test 179
Click here for lowest fourth-innings totals in a Test win.
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Travis Basevi is the man who built Statsguru. George Binoy is an editorial assistant on Cricinfo