Top 3 teams to play most overs in 4th innings to save/win a Test
The fourth innings performance can either make or break a Test match for the team. The pressure is more on the batting side than on fielding and one or even two impactful knocks from the batters can go a long way in ensuring that the contest is won or saved.
In fact, there have been a few occasions where the teams have done the unthinkable in the fourth innings of a Test match to ensure that they did not losE it by any means. Without further ado, here’s a look at three of them.
England vs South Africa, Durban 1939
This is the best fourth innings resistance shown by a team in the history of Test cricket. The high-scoring thriller saw England pull off an unlikely draw as their batters faced a record 1746 deliveries a record which still remains intact after more than eight decades.
Batting first South Africa scored 530 runs riding on centuries from Pieter van der Bijl and Dudley Nourse. England in reply were bowled out for just 316. The Proteas displayed a solid batting performance in the second innings to the set the visitors a mammoth target of 696.
England made a match of it thanks to Bill Edrich’s 219 along with 140 and 120 from skipper Wally Hammond and Paul Gibb respectively to finish at 654/5.
Pakistan vs Australia, Karachi 2022
The recently-concluded contest saw Pakistan do the unthinkable as their star batters showed a great amount of determination to save the Test match. Pakistan batters faced 1030 balls to ensure the match ended in a stalemate.
Chasing 506 to create history the hosts batting crumbled under pressure despite a fighting 96 from opener Abdullah Shafique. But, centuries from skipper Babar Azam (196) and an unbeaten 104 from wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan turned the tables on the Aussies as Pakistan ended the fifth day’s play at 443/7.
West Indies vs England, Kingston 1930
The West Indies managed a famous draw against England in the fourth Test in April 1930. The Caribbean batters faced 987 deliveries to ensure that neither of the team won the contest that would eventually turn out to be a cult classic.
Chasing a humungous 836 in their second innings, the West Indies showed a brave fightback courtesy of George Headley’s 223-run knock from 385 deliveries. Nonetheless, it was skipper Karl Nunes’ knock that stood out the rest.
He stood like a wall from one end and scored 92 runs off 355 balls. That was more than enough as the West Indies scorecard read 408/5 at the end of the Test match.
