Highest Match Aggregates by Both Teams in a Test Match

Highest Test Match Aggregates by Both Teams

Key Insights

South Africa and England recorded the highest combined runs in a Test match. Both teams combined to score 1981 runs across four innings in the 1939 Durban Test.

This was, in fact, the longest-ever Test match played in history. The match lasted for 10 days! Despite that, the Test ended in a draw. Interestingly, one over consisted of eight balls back then.

1135 of the 1981 runs came in the second innings played by South Africa and England. This is the highest run aggregate by teams in their second innings of a Test.

1489 runs aggregated by India and Sri Lanka are the most by teams in their first innings combined. This is also the highest run aggregate in a Test with only two completed innings.

952 of 1489 runs came from Sri Lankans, the highest innings total by a team in Tests, while India declared on 537 for 8. Interestingly, both teams batted once each.

1121 of 1815 runs were scored by England against the West Indies in the 1930 Kingston Test, the highest aggregate by a team in a match. Overall, six times a team accumulated more than 1000 runs in their two innings combined.

1768 runs aggregated by England and Pakistan in the 2022 Rawalpindi Test match are the most in a five-day Test match. This is also the same series when Pakistan became the first team to score 500 in an innings and lost the Test by an innings.

4.95 run rate achieved in the 2025 Nottingham Test between England and Zimbabwe. This is the highest run rate recorded in a Test match.

In all, England featured in five matches which had a run rate of 4.5 or more. All of these instances have come since 2022.

There are more than 65 Test matches to have a combined run rate of four or more per over.

Over 1280 Test matches have recorded match aggregates of 1000 or more runs.

South Africa also featured in a Test that recorded the lowest match aggregate. The Test unfolded against Australia in Melbourne in 1932. Both teams combined to score 234 runs in the match.