Test cricket can be viewed as a slow-moving format as it takes place over a period of five days. But in reality, it can be a thrilling affair too. There can be plenty of twists and turns taking place as the game proceeds to the fourth innings of a Test match.
However, only a few moments can be as thrilling as the last wicket pair batting together with the game at stake. It can be either to save a Test match or to perhaps win one from the jaws of defeat. These occurrences, though rare but give us a feel of an edge-of-the-seat thriller and add to the excitement of this beautiful sport.
Here we will talk about all those memorable last-wicket wins by teams in Test cricket in this “Highest Tenth Wicket Partnership to win a game”.
Highest 10th Wicket Partnerships in 4th innings in Test Wins
| Partners | Runs for 10th Wkt | Against | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kusal Perera & Vishwa Fernando (SL) | 78* | South Africa | Durban | 2019 |
| Ben Stokes & Jack Leach (ENG) | 76* | Australia | Leeds | 2019 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq & Mushtaq Ahmed (PAK) | 57* | Australia | Karachi | 1994 |
| Arthur Nourse & Percy Sherwell (SA) | 48* | England | Johannesburg | 1906 |
| Sydney Barnes & Arthur Fielder (ENG) | 39* | Australia | Melbourne | 1908 |
| William Johnston & Douglas Ring (AUS) | 38* | West Indies | Melbourne | 1951 |
| Courtney Walsh & Jimmy Adams (WI) | 19* | Pakistan | Antigua | 2000 |
| Jayden Seals & Kemar Roach (WI) | 17* | Pakistan | Kingston | 2021 |
| George Hirst & Wilfred Rhodes (ENG) | 15* | Australia | The Oval | 1902 |
| VVS Laxman & Pragyan Ojha (IND) | 11* | Australia | Mohali | 2010 |
| Brian Lara & Courtney Walsh (WI) | 9* | Australia | Bridgetown | 1999 |
| Alex Kennedy & George Macaulay (ENG) | 5* | South Africa | Cape Town | 1923 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq & Yasir Ali (PAK) | 5* | Bangladesh | Multan | 2003 |
| Stephen Boock & Gary Troup (NZ) | 4* | West Indies | Dunedin | 1980 |
| Farveez Maharoof & Lasith Malinga (SL) | 2* | South Africa | Colombo (PSS) | 2006 |
You can find the overall highest last-wicket partnerships in Tests here.
Key Insights
There have been only 15 last-wicket partnerships in the fourth innings that resulted in a win for the respective sides thus far. This means only 15 times a team has won by a wicket, thanks to the contribution of the last pair in Test cricket. Seven of the 15 occurrences have come since the start of 2000.
The unbeaten 78-run stand by the Sri Lankan pair of Kusal Perera and Vishwa Fernando against hosts South Africa in the famous 2019 Durban Test is the highest 10th wicket partnership in a winning cause in the fourth innings.
In the same year, Test cricket saw another epic last-wicket stand that fetched a win, this time for England. In the Ashes game at Headingly, Ben Stokes and No. 11 Jack Leech (one run) put on an unbeaten 76-run stand for the final wicket to win the game against Australia.
Lasith Malinga was also part of an ODI record partnership along with Angelo Matthews. The duo had a 132-run partnership against Australia in 2010. Find out the highest partnerships that came for 6th or lower wickets in ODIs here.
New Zealand’s Nathan Astle and Chris Cairns have stitched the highest 10th wicket partnership in the fourth innings of a Test, though in a losing cause. They put together 118 runs against England in the 2002 Christchurch Test in a failed run chase of 550 runs.
133 – This is the highest 10th wicket stand in a Test win, but it came in the second innings of a Test, and it was between Zaheer Khan and Sachin Tendulkar against Bangladesh at Dhaka in 2004.
Likewise, the overall highest 10th wicket stand is 198 runs between England’s Joe Root and James Anderson, coming against India at Lord’s in 2014.
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