Highest and lowest Test totals of all the teams

Testing cricketers on strength, endurance, skills, consistency, and various other parameters, Test cricket stands true to its name in all senses. Besides, despite the emergence of the limited-overs format like One-day Internationals and T20 Internationals, Test cricket hasn’t lost its essence, as it is still regarded as the purest format of the game, which truly determines the capabilities of both the bowlers and the batsmen.

Over the years, the team’s have experienced contrasting fortunes with the willow in the longest format of the game. While they have stunned the opposition by mounting hundreds of runs on the scoreboard, the teams have also been rattled by the opposition bowlers to reach embarrassingly low scores.

Highest & lowest Test totals of all the teams

Afghanistan

342 vs Bangladesh, 2019

The Afghanistan cricket team announced themselves in the purest format of the game after they registered an emphatic win against Bangladesh by a massive 224 runs in a Test game played from September 5, 2019 to September 9 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. The toss went visiting captain Rashid Khan’s way and he elected to bat first. In the first innings, Afghanistan posted a total of 342 on the board, their highest score in Test format.

The top-order batsman Rahmat Shah scored a scintillating century (102 runs) along with right-hander Asghar Afghan who added 92 runs to the scoreboard. The skipper applied finishing touches to the innings by smashing a half-century. This was followed by Bangladesh scoring only 205 and 173 runs respectively across their two innings while Afghanistan smashed 260 runs in their second innings to seal the game.

103 vs India, 2018

103 is the lowest score registered by the Afghan team in the longest format of the game. Afghanistan had toured India in 2018 for a lone Test when batting first India scored a whopping 474 runs owing to terrific centuries by Murali Vijay (105) and Shikhar Dhawan (107). In reply, the visitors managed to score only 109 runs and as a result, were asked to follow-on.

Batting in the second innings, Afghanistan again witnessed a collapse of their batting line-up as the Indian bowlers picked timely wickets without conceding runs. The left-hander Hashmatullah Shahidi was the highest scorer for the Afghan team with 36 runs as they registered a score of 103. Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav were the pick of the bowlers for hosts as they scalped four and three wickets respectively.

Australia

758/8d vs West Indies, 1955

Australia had dominated the West Indies cricket team in the five-match Test series on the Caribbean soil in 1955. Playing in the fifth Test of the series, West Indies posted a total of 357 on the board in a hope of winning at least a single game. However, the Australian batters launched an assault on the hosts bowling unit as they declared their innings at 758/8, the highest Test score by Kangaroos till date.

As many as four visiting batters including C Mcdonald, R Archer, K Miller and R Benaud smashed a ton, while the left-hander Neil Harvey played a terrific knock of 204 runs. This resulted in Australia posting a massive 758 on the board in 246 overs. The Caribbean side could score only 319 runs in their second innings and thus the visitors won the game by an innings and 82 runs and the series by 3-0.

36 vs England, 1902

The incident of the Kangaroos scoring as low as 36 runs in Test format dates back to 1902. In the first Test of the five-match Test series, Australia were sent to bowl first at Edgbaston. In the three-day game, the hosts racked up a target of 376 on the board, however, Australia flattened at a score of 36 as England’s left-arm spinner Wilfred Rhodes scalped seven wickets.

Four Australian batters went back to the pavilion after scoring a duck while the opening batsman V Trumper was the only player to score runs in double digits with 18 runs under his belt. Asked to follow-on, the visitors managed to draw the game as they scored 46 runs while losing just 2 wickets by the end of third day.

Bangladesh

638 vs Sri Lanka, 2013

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were involved in a high-scoring Test game from March 8, 2013 to March 12 at Galle International Stadium. Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka declared their innings after scoring a mammoth score of 570 runs. In reply, Bangladesh also thrashed the hosts bowling unit as they posted 638 runs on the board, their highest Test score till date.

Captain Mushfiqur Rahim scored a stunning double-hundred while Mohammad Ashraful and Nasir Hossain smashed 190 and 100 runs, respectively to help their team Bangladesh reach a terrific score. This was followed by Lanka scoring 335 runs in their second innings but they failed to pick all the ten wickets of the opposition and thus the match resulted in a draw.

43 vs West Indies, 2018

Bangladesh had a bad day at office during the 1st Test of the two-match series against West Indies in 2018 in Antigua as they registered their lowest Test score of 43 runs while batting in the first innings. Kemar Roach had scripted victory for his team by picking 5 priced wickets as Bangladesh collapsed within 18.4 overs.

Liton Das was the highest run-getter for his team with 25 runs to his name as no other batsman took responsibility to score runs. This was followed by West Indies collecting 406 runs in their first innings while Bangladesh could score only 144 runs second time and thus lost the game by an innings and 219 runs.

England

903/7d vs Australia, 1938

In 1938, batting against Australia in the first innings, England’s batting line-up had rattled the opposition bowlers as they went on to collect a whopping 903 runs. S Hutton played a brilliant knock of 364 runs along with M Leyland and J Hardstaff who added 187 and 169 runs to the scoreboard.

In reply, Australia could score only 201 and 123 runs across two innings as England’s Bill Bowes scalped 7 wickets while Ken Farnes had 5 to his name. This resulted in England winning the game by a massive 579 runs and an innings.

45 vs Australia, 1887

While England had registered their highest score against Australia, their lowest Test total also came against the same opposition. Playing in Sydney, England could score only 45 runs in the first innings as apart from George Lohmann, who scored 17 runs, every batter went back to the pavilion after scoring runs in single digit.

The Australian pacers JJ Ferris and Charlie Turner breathed fire in that game as they had picked 4 and 6 wickets respectively. Interestingly, England had registered a victory in that game by 13 runs as they had redeemed themselves by scoring 184 runs in the second innings while Australia could post only 119 and 97 runs respectively on the scoreboard.

India

759/7d vs England, 2016

In the last Test of the five-match series, India had scripted history in Chennai in 2016 by registering their highest Test total of 759 while batting in the first innings. Opting to bat first, England had racked up 477 runs on the board. In reply, the opening batsman KL Rahul and right-hander Karun Nair  weaved magic on the field by producing knocks of 199 and unbeaten 303 respectively.

In the second innings, Indian bowling unit managed to stop the opposition at a score of 207 as Ravindra Jadeja picked 7 wickets. Thus, India ended up winning that game by a mammoth margin of an innings and 75 runs and Karun Nair was adjudged the Man of the Match award for his terrific batting.

36 vs Australia, 2020

Exactly after four years of scoring their highest Test total, the Men in Blue made an unwanted record of scoring their lowest score in the purest format of the game in 2020. India had suffered an annihilation during the Day 3 of the day-night Test against Australia at Adelaide Oval. In the second innings, the batting line-up witnessed a horrible collapse as no batsman touched a double-digit figure.

India quickly folded up at a score of 36/9. The opening batter Mayank Agarwal emerged as the highest run-getter for the team with 9 runs. This resulted in India being at the receiving end of an embarrassing defeat against Australia by 8 wickets.

Ireland

339 vs PAK, 2018

Ireland and Pakistan were involved in a lone Test at Dublin from May 11, 2018 to May 15 when Ireland had scored 339 runs in the second innings, their highest score in the longest format of the game. Put to bat first, Pakistan racked up a score of 310 on the scoreboard. In reply, Ireland collapsed at 130 and were asked to follow-on.

In the second innings, the hosts bounced back stronger as they smashed 339 runs on the back of a spectacular knock of 118 runs off 217 deliveries by Kevin O Brien. However, Brien’s efforts didn’t pay off as Pakistan easily won the game by 5 wickets.

38 vs England, 2019

Playing at Lord’s against England in 2019, Ireland ended up at the wrong side of things as they scored a paltry total of 38 runs in their second innings to lose the game by a massive 143 runs. The English pacers Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad had rattled the opposition batters with their pace and accuracy as they picked up six and four wickets respectively.

Ireland had a good start in the game as they folded up the England team in just 85 runs and scored 207 runs in their first innings. However, the hosts put up a fight in the second innings and ended up scoring 303 runs while Ireland could manage only 38.

New Zealand

715/6d vs Bangladesh, 2019

New Zealand is almost unbeatable in the longest format of the game while playing at their home grounds. The Black Caps had once again established this fact in a Test game against Bangladesh in 2019 by scoring their highest ever total in a Test innings, 715 runs at Hamilton.

In reply to 234 runs posted by Bangladesh on the board, Kiwi captain played a sublime knock of 200 runs while the opening duo of Jeet Raval and Tom Latham collected 132 and 161 runs respectively. The hosts declared their innings at 715/6 while the visitors could score only 429 runs and New Zealand won the match by an innings and 52 runs.

26 vs England, 1955

The Black Caps hold an embarrassing record of scoring the lowest score in the history of international Test cricket. Playing at Eden Park in 1955 against England, both the teams had a decent start as New Zealand collected 200 runs while England posted 246 runs in their first innings.

However, things went completely wrong for the Kiwis in the second innings as they could manage just 26 runs on the board and the whole team went back to the pavilion within 27 overs. The opening batsman Bert Sutcliffe was the only one to score runs in double digits (11 runs).

Pakistan

765/6d vs Sri Lanka, 2009

Two Asian countries Sri Lanka and Pakistan were involved in a high-scoring thriller at National Stadium in Karachi in February 2009. Batsmen dominated the show as Sri Lanka posted a massive score of 644 on the board while batting first. However, the Pakistan batters were not behind, as they smashed the Lanka’s bowlers all over the park and declared their innings at a score of 765.

Younis Khan was on fire that day as he amassed 313 runs off 568 deliveries while playing a classic Test innings. Meanwhile, the game resulted in a draw as Pakistan bowlers couldn’t scalp all the ten wickets of the opposition in the second innings within the time span.

49 vs South Africa, 2013

South Africa’s veteran pacer Dale Steyn was the culprit behind the visiting team Pakistan scoring their all-time low total of 49 runs in Test format. Playing in South Africa in 2013, the visiting bowers managed to restrict the opposition at a score of 253. However, the Pakistan batsmen failed to support their bowling unit and collapsed at a mere score of 49.

Azhar Ali was the highest run-getter for Men in Green with 13 runs while Dale Steyn picked 6 wickets in the first innings followed by a five-wicket haul in the second innings, where visitors scored 268 runs, to help his team win by 211 runs.

South Africa

682/6d vs England, 2003

In the second Test of the five-match Test series against England at Lord’s in 2003, South Africa batters tormented the opposition bowlers as they recorded a stunning total of 682/6 on the scoreboard. Captain Graeme Smith led from the front as he played a breathtaking knock of 259 runs. He was aptly supported by Gary Kirsten who smashed 108 runs.

The massive total of 682 posted in the first innings helped South Africa to clinch the match by an innings and 92 runs as England could score only 173 and 417 runs respectively across their two innings. Till now, this is the highest total scored by South Africa in the longest format of the game.

30 vs England, 1896 | 30 vs England, 1924

South Africa is the only team in the international circuit to have scored their lowest Test total twice that too against the same opposition. SA’s batting line-up had surrendered against the England’s bowling unit in 1896 in Port Elizabeth during their second innings as they had registered a paltry total of 30. The right-arm pacer George Lohmann was the wrecker-in-chief for the host nation as he scalped 8 wickets.

SA had provided an almost repeat telecast of the same in 1924 at Edgbaston. This time during the first innings, the batting line-up collapsed, courtesy the pace duo of Arthur Gilligan and Maurice Tate who scalped six and four wickets respectively.

Sri Lanka

952/6d vs India, 1997

Sri Lank holds the record of smashing the highest score in an innings in Test history. Batting first in a Test game in Colombo in 1997, India had racked up a target of 537 on the board on the back of centuries by Navjot Sidhu, Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin. In reply, Sri Lanka’s willow wielders came out all guns blazing to stun the Indians.

Sanath Jayasuriya was the wrecker-in-chief in the first innings, and smashed a brilliant 340 runs. In addition, Roshan Mahanama played a scintillating knock of 225 runs. However, the match resulted in a draw as both the sides didn’t get a chance to play their second innings.

71 vs Pakistan, 1994

In 1994, the island nation had recorded their lowest total of 71 runs in Test format. It came against Pakistan while playing at Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy. In the first innings, the visiting pacer Waqar Younis had ripped apart the Sri Lanka batting line-up along with Wasim Akram.

While Younis picked six wickets, Akram had four to his name as the Men in Green won the game by an innings and 52 runs. It was a bad day at office for the hosts batsman as they failed to find their rhythm and collapsed at 71 for 10 within 29 overs.

West Indies

790/3d vs PAK, 1958

West Indies had dominated the cricket fraternity in the mid 90s. Thus it is no surprise that they had scored their highest Test score of 790/3 against Pakistan in 1958. In reply to 328 scored by Pakistan, Sir Conrad Hunte and Sir Gary Sobers had gone all guns blazing against the feeble bowling attack of the visiting nation as they played up a knock of 260 and 365 runs respectively.

In the second innings, Pakistan collapsed at 288 as Eric Atkinson scalped three wickets while Tom Dewdney and Lance Gibbs had two each under their belts. This resulted in the Caribbean nation registering a comfortable victory by an innings and 174 runs against Men in Green.

47 vs England, 2004

47 is the lowest score ever posted by the West Indies cricket team in the purest format of the game. In the first Test of the four-match series against England in 2014 in Jamaica, West Indies and England scored 311 and 339 in their first innings respectively. However, England’s right-arm pacer Steve Harmison assaulted the Caribbean side in their second innings by picking up 7 wickets.

The hosts collapsed at an embarrassing score of 47 for 10 within 26 overs as England won the game by 10 runs. The visitors had to chase only 20 runs in their second innings and they easily did the job without losing any wicket within 2.3 overs.

Zimbabwe

563/9d vs West Indies, 2001

In 2001, Zimbabwe cricket team had scored their highest ever score in the purest format of the game, 563 runs against West Indies at Harare Sports Club. The all-rounder Hamilton Masakadza was the main man behind this massive score as he had played a brilliant knock of 119 runs.

Hamilton was aptly supported by H Streak and A Blignaut who added 83 and 92 runs to the scoreboard. However, the match resulted in a draw as West Indies scored 347 and 98/1 runs across two innings while Zimbabwe had racked up a total of 131 in their first innings.

51 vs New Zealand, 2012

In the only Test Zimbabwe had played against New Zealand in 2012 at McLean park, they had made an unpleasant record of scoring their lowest ever Test total, 51 runs. Put to bat first, New Zealand posted a mammoth target of 495 on the board.

In reply, Zimbabwe flattened at a paltry total of 51 as Chris Martin, Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Doug Bracewell picked two wickets each while Daniel Vettori had one to his name. Malcolm Waller was the only man to cross the line of 10 runs by scoring 23. Asked to follow-on, Zimbabwe could score only 143 runs and lost the game by an innings and 301 runs.