In the longer format, teams look to dominate their opponents throughout the 5 days. First with the bat, scoring the bulk of the runs, and then outfoxing the opponents with a thunderous bowling effort.
Over the years, many teams have won some memorable Tests by outclassing their opponents. There’s no better feeling than winning a Test match after grinding on the field for 5 days. And if a team wins a match by the largest margin, then it’s icing on the cake.
Here, in this article, we’ll look at the top 10 largest margins of victories registered by teams in Test cricket.
Largest Margin of Victory in Tests (by Runs)
| Winner | Margin | Target | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 675 runs | 742 | Australia | Brisbane | 30 Nov 1928 |
| Australia | 562 runs | 708 | England | The Oval | 18 Aug 1934 |
| Bangladesh | 546 runs | 662 | Afghanistan | Mirpur | 14 Jun 2023 |
| Australia | 530 runs | 702 | South Africa | Melbourne | 17 Feb 1911 |
| South Africa | 492 runs | 612 | Australia | Johannesburg | 30 Mar 2018 |
| Australia | 491 runs | 564 | Pakistan | Perth | 16 Dec 2004 |
| Sri Lanka | 465 runs | 624 | Bangladesh | Chattogram | 3 Jan 2009 |
| India | 434 runs | 557 | England | Rajkot | 15 Feb 2024 |
| West Indies | 425 runs | 552 | England | Manchester | 8 Jul 1976 |
| New Zealand | 423 runs | 660 | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 26 Dec 2018 |
Key Insights
675: England holds the record for registering the largest margin of victory in Test cricket. In the first Test against Australia in 1928, England defeated Australia by an astounding margin of 675 runs, which remains the only 600+ run win in Test history to date.
742: This is the highest target set by a team in a Test victory. England put up a mammoth 742-run target in front of Australia in the above-mentioned match.
The overall highest target was also set by England, which was 836 runs against the West Indies in 1930, though the match resulted in a draw.
1: In February 2024, India became the first team to win a Test by a margin of 400+ runs after scoring 400+ runs in both innings of the Test match. India posted 445 and 430/4 in their 2 innings, respectively, while England managed 319 and 122, resulting in India winning by 434 runs.
400: There are over 14 instances of teams winning a Test match by a 400+ run margin, with Australia registering 5+ wins. If we count in the victories by 300+ runs, the number goes above 70 instances.
171: This is the biggest win margin achieved by a team after the opposition imposed follow on. India registered a thumping win over Australia by 171 runs after conceding a follow on in the famous Eden Gardens Test in 2001.
On the other hand, New Zealand registered a win by 1 run after England imposed a follow on in the Wellington Test in 2023 — by the barest of the margins. (You can read more about both these classic matches here.)
