Highest aggregate scores in Tests by a losing team
Test cricket often produces an intriguing battle between bowlers and batters, with both trying to outwit each other throughout the match. Sometimes, the batters come on the top of the bowlers as they post totals on the board, but sometimes even that proves to be in vain as opposition batters outscore them in the contest.
Here are the top 3 highest aggregate scores by a team in Tests in a losing cause:
3. 817 by England against Australia in 1921, Adelaide
England squared off against Australia in the 3rd Test in a do-or-die match as they were 2-0 down in the five-match Test series in 1921 against the Aussies. The English side did well to gain a 97-run lead after their first innings and were looking to claw their way back into the series, but their plans were thwarted when the Aussies set a massive target of 485 runs for the visiting Englishmen, which eventually proved to be too much as England fell short by 119 runs in pursuit of the huge target. Hence, despite scoring 817 runs across the two innings, England ended up on the losing side. The match also recorded the fourth-highest aggregate score in Tests with a combined 1753 runs.
2. 837 by New Zealand against England in 2022, Nottingham
A Test match that is a part of the English folklore as one of their greatest ever victories on their home soil featured two sides piling up the misery on the bowlers. New Zealand scored 553 runs in the first innings, and in reply, England almost matched their tally as they finished with 539 runs on the board. The Blackcaps were bundled out for 284 runs in the second innings on the fifth morning of the Test, which meant that England needed to chase 299 runs in a little over two sessions. The Kiwi batters must have thought that they had done enough, but a resurgent partnership between English skipper Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow scripted a miraculous chase for the hosts as they got over the line in just 50 overs.
1. 861 by England against Australia in 1948, Leeds
England and Australia have a well-documented history of a fierce rivalry, and this match is a testament to that. The series, famously remembered for being Don Bradman’s last ever appearance in the game, saw Australia dominate England. England batters gave a fine account with 496 runs in the first innings, but the Aussies were hot on their tail as they ended with 458 runs of their own in reply. England gave the Australians a colossal target of 403 runs to chase in the fourth innings. And the great Bradman responded in typical fashion as he recorded an unbeaten 173 on the final day to lead the Aussies to a seven-wicket victory, clinching the five-match series in the process, and pushing England to defeat despite their match tally of 861 runs/ A total of 1723 runs were scored in the Test, the sixth-highest ever.
