We have discussed many Top 10 lists around test cricket but this is one of the most uncommon lists but it will be fun to see which teams have scored the most runs in a single day in the 140+ years of test cricket. Generally test cricket is the format where runs are scored at a slowish pace but there are some teams that have posted astonishing scores in a single day.
There have been few teams who have scored over 500 runs in a single day in the 90 overs and the others are over 450 on this list which means that the teams have scored at over 5 runs per over which is extraordinary in test cricket as it is not known to be such a high run rate scoring format. So, let’s see the Top 10 list of most runs scored in one day in test cricket history.
1. England and India (588/6):
This test match was between India and England in the year 1936 in the famous ground of Manchester and it was England who scored most of these 588 runs on day two of this test match. In the first innings India were bowled out cheaply for 203 runs and then it was the turn of the England to pile on the runs on the Indians and they just kept scoring and scoring and on Day 2 of this test match a total of a staggering 588 runs were scored which is unheard of even during these days when batting is comparatively much easier so it was like once in a rare occurrence. Wally Hammond scored a brilliant 167 runs and was ably supported by the other batters as well. And in the second innings of India, Vijay Merchant stood up for India with a brilliant century.
2. England (522/2):
Like was the case in the number 1 spot in this list that both the batting teams contributed to the huge score of 588 in a day , this is all England in this list as they alone scored 522 for the loss of only 2 wickets against South Africa and out of the 4 batters who batted in this Innings, 1 got a great double hundred and 2 others got centuries to their name there by tormenting the South Africa bowling attack on that day.
3. Sri Lanka (509/9):
This test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh was the third instance where a team scored more than 500 runs in an entire day of test cricket. It was Sri Lanka this time who with the help of Aravinda De Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya piled on the runs on this day and hit massive scores for Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka won this match easily.
4. England and South Africa (508/8):
This is another instance where both the teams in this test match contributed to such a massive score being achieved in a single day in test cricket. This was again between England and South Africa and for the majority England scored most runs with its middle order batters scoring quick Centuries for England and when they declared South Africa added a few more runs to the score on this day.
5. England (496/4):
It looks like England is a team which likes scoring lots of runs in a single day in test cricket as is evident in this list until now and this time their opponents were Pakistan and their batters Reg Simpson and Denis Compton scored amazing centuries and a double hundred as well to guide England to post such a mammoth score on this day.
6. Australia (494/6):
The first day of this test match and Australia just punished South Africa this day and their batters like Warren Bardsley and Clem Hill added more than 200 runs between themselves for the 2nd wicket and the rest of the batters supported well to post this score on day 1.
7. South Africa and England (492/8):
To have two days of a single test match featuring in the top 10 of this list shows that both these teams were practising ODI cricket way before it was introduced formally. On this day first it was South Africa who scored the runs and later in the day England joined the party as both these teams put on a historic test match for the ages. The fans who got to witness this were extremely lucky.
8. New Zealand and England (491/7):
It was Day 3 of the test match between these two teams where both these teams just piled on the runs on this day of the test match and put the other team under pressure. It was the second innings of both England and New Zealand when these teams did this impressive feat.
9. Australia and India (482/10):
Australia dominated much of this day as they just kept increasing their lead over India while batting in the first innings and Justin Langer lead the way with an incredible 223 and when it was the time for India’s second innings VVS Laxman stepped up for India and hit his career defining innings of 167 which put him on the map
10. Australia (482/5):
The last entry in this list is by Australia when they smashed the South Africa bowling attack on the first day of this test match. David Warner and Michael Hussey scored great centuries and it was Michael Clarke who led the way with a magnificent double hundred for Australia and South Africa were getting punished.
