It’s been a decade since the pink ball debuted in Test cricket. The pink ball is slightly different from the red one, with bowlers finding a bit more help in terms of swing and seam.
Despite the challenge of playing under lights and bowling-friendly conditions, batting sides have managed to get an edge over their opponents. To win a Test, a team needs to post a mammoth total, and that’s what they did.
In this article, we’ll look at the top 10 highest team totals registered in pink-ball Test matches.
Highest Team Totals in Pink-Ball Tests
| Team | Total | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 589/3d | Pakistan | Adelaide | 29 Nov 2019 |
| Pakistan | 579/3d | West Indies | Dubai (DICS) | 13 Oct 2016 |
| England | 514/8d | West Indies | Birmingham | 17 Aug 2017 |
| Australia | 511/7d | West Indies | Adelaide | 8 Dec 2022 |
| Sri Lanka | 482 | Pakistan | Dubai (DICS) | 6 Oct 2017 |
| Australia | 473/9d | England | Adelaide | 16 Dec 2021 |
| Pakistan | 450 | Australia | Brisbane | 15 Dec 2016 |
| Australia | 442/8d | England | Adelaide | 2 Dec 2017 |
| Australia | 429 | Pakistan | Brisbane | 15 Dec 2016 |
| New Zealand | 427/8d | England | Auckland | 22 Mar 2018 |
Key Insights
589/3d: Australia’s total against Pakistan in the 2019 Adelaide day/night Test, which is the highest by a team in pink-ball Tests.
500: Thus far, three teams have registered at least one 500-plus total in a pink-ball Test.
450: Pakistan’s total while chasing a target of 490 against Australia in the 2016 Brisbane Test. This is the highest team score in a losing cause in a day/night affair.
6.41: This is the highest run rate in a pink-ball Test innings. Australia scored 199 runs at a run rate of 6.41 before declaring their innings against the West Indies in 2022.
5: England are the only team to accumulate runs at a run rate of 5 or more in both innings of a day/night Test. They had a run rate of 5.57 in the first innings and 5.06 in the second against New Zealand in the 2023 Mount Maunganui Test.
187: This is the highest target chased by a team in a day/night Test. Australia chased down the 187-run target set by New Zealand in the first-ever pink-ball Test in 2015. You can find here the overall list of the highest successful run chases in Test cricket.
