Cricket is undoubtedly a batsman’s game, and the sport’s rules favour the batters. The thing that adds beauty to Test match cricket is the patience and perseverance with which the batters play, especially in the initial phase of 1st day’s play. It is almost an unwritten rule in the game of cricket that the team batting first has to bat for an extended period and make the opposition bowlers toil hard so that it becomes doubly challenging for them to make a comeback.
But there are many instances where the side batting first takes much time out of the game, and the Test match ends in a high-scoring draw as the pitch does not offer much to the bowlers. On other occasions, the team batting 2nd makes a match out of the contest and proceeds to be a thriller, and a few other times, there would be no coming back for the side bowling first.
Here we will sneak a peek at 10 of the highest first innings totals of a Test match.
Highest 1st Innings Totals in Test Cricket
| Team | 1st Inns Total | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 903/7d | Australia | The Oval | 20 Aug 1938 |
| England | 849 | West Indies | Kingston | 3 Apr 1930 |
| West Indies | 751/5d | England | St John’s | 10 Apr 2004 |
| Australia | 735/6d | Zimbabwe | Perth | 9 Oct 2003 |
| Pakistan | 708 | England | The Oval | 6 Aug 1987 |
| India | 705/7d | Australia | Sydney | 2 Jan 2004 |
| Australia | 701 | England | The Oval | 18 Aug 1934 |
| West Indies | 687/8d | England | The Oval | 12 Aug 1976 |
| India | 687/6d | Bangladesh | Hyderabad | 9 Feb 2017 |
| West Indies | 681/8d | England | Port of Spain | 17 Mar 1954 |
Dive into Team Totals & Aggregate Records
Highest Match Aggregates by Both Teams in a Test Match
Lowest Match Aggregates by Both Teams in a Test Match
Highest Team Aggregates in a Test Match
Lowest Team Aggregates in a Test Match
Highest Innings Totals in Test Cricket
Highest First Innings Totals in Test Cricket
Highest First Innings Aggregates by Both Teams in a Test Match
Highest Innings Totals for Each Team in Test Cricket
Highest Team Totals in Pink-Ball (Day-Night) Test Matches
Lowest Innings Totals in Test History
Lowest First Innings Totals in Test Cricket
Lowest Innings Totals for Each Team in Test Cricket
Highest Successful Run Chases in Test Cricket
Lowest Targets Successfully Defended in Test Cricket
Key Insights on Highest First Innings Totals in Test Cricket
Historical Team Totals in First Innings in Tests
England have recorded the highest team total in the first innings of a Test match. They declared the first innings on 903 for 7 against Australia in the 1938 Oval Test.
England’s 903 for 7 is overall the second–highest total by a team in Tests. This is also the highest team total in a winning cause in Tests.
England batted 335.2 overs while aggregating 903 runs, the most by a team in the first innings of a Test match.
England have also registered the highest team total in the first innings of an overseas Test. They aggregated 849 all out against the West Indies in the 1930 Kingston Test.
Bangladesh have posted the highest first innings total in a Test loss. Their 595 for 8 (declared) wasn’t enough to secure a victory against New Zealand in the 2017 Wellington Test.
Record-Breaking Run Rates in First Innings in Tests
England have recorded the highest run rate in the first innings of a Test, having scored 657 runs at a rate of 6.5 in 101 overs against Pakistan in the 2022 Rawalpindi Test.
England scored 506 of the 657 runs on the first day of the Rawalpindi Test. This is the most runs scored by a team on the first day of a Test match.
England are the only team to score at a run rate of five or more in more than five first innings in Tests.
Lowest Totals and Shortest First Innings in Tests
South Africa have scored the lowest team total in the first innings of a Test, getting all out for 36 against Australia in the 1932 Melbourne Test.
Australia have played the shortest first innings in Test cricket, batting for 18.3 overs while getting bundled for 60 against England in the 2015 Nottingham Test.
Boundary Records in First Innings in Tests
Australia and South Africa have hit the joint-most sixes in the first innings of a Test. Both teams struck 17 sixes each against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in the 2003 Perth Test and 2024 Chattogram Test, respectively.
India, meanwhile, have smashed the most fours in the first innings of a Test, having scored 101 against Australia in the 2004 Sydney Test.
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