Top 10 highest successful run-chases in the history of Test cricket

The history of Test match cricket has had some teams doing the unthinkable and nailing difficult run-chases in the final innings. 
 
England stand on the verge of Test cricket's ninth most successful run-chase. ?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4

Casting our minds back to ten most successful run-chases in the 145-year history of Test match cricket. 

As England pull off a comeback for the memories and stand on the verge of a tremendous victory in Birmingham against India, only 119 runs behind their record chase of 378, we cast our minds on previous occasions where batting teams have got on a roll and ended with record successful run-chases in Test match history. 

1. West Indies 418/7 at St John's, 2003 

At the heels of an unarrested decline, West Indies gave their fans a glimmer of hope of revival when they ended up recording Test cricket's highest run-chase ever against Australia at St John's back in 2003. The hosts overhauled Australia's massive 417 in the final innings of the Test match. With the surface getting progressively good for batting, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul got fantastic hundreds and thwarted the opposition attack, featuring the ever-precise Glenn McGrath. 

2. South Africa 414/4 at Perth, 2008 

It was another occasion where the Aussies were at the recieving end of some incredible batting in the fourth innings of a Test match. This time the South Africans pulled the rabbit out of the hat and nailed a strenuous run-chase, getting a whopping 414/4 on the final afternoon. 

Despite standing behind Australia for the better part of the Test match, the visitors eventually inched ahead and reached home, thanks to centuries from Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers and fifties from Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and JP Duminy. 

3. India 406/4 at Port of Spain, 1976

This still goes down as one of the most significant points in the history of the game. Not because India aced what remains the third-highest successful run-chase in Test match history but due to the aftermath of it. West Indies, reeling from a painful defeat at home, unleashed a formidable four-man pace attack that went on to dominate world cricket for the next decade and a half. 

The Indians pushed them into doing so because of an excellent batting performance on the final afternoon, shepherded by hundreds of great class from Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Vishwanath. 

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4. Australia 404/3 at Leeds, 1948 

Many many years before they had record run-chases made against them, the Australians pulled one of their own in the 1948 Headingley Test versus arch-rivals England. Set a target of 404 in what was a rare high-scoring fixture in times of uncovered pitches, the visitors drowned the hosts on their way to a victory with seven wickets in hand. It was a chase made possible by final innings centuries from Arthus Morris and Sir Don Bradman. 

5. West Indies 395/7 at Chattogram, 2021

Test cricket may have transformed so much with time but chasing anything above 300 runs remains an arduous task unless the bowlers get it horribly wrong. When West Indies began their chase of 395 in the final innings on a dry pitch, all odds stood against them facing a three-pronged spin attack from Bangladesh. 

But having already made a comeback of sorts after trailing the hosts by 171 runs at the end of the first half, the visitors took heart from their fight and led an incredible counterattack that Bangladesh couldn't handle. It was a run-chase that got Kyle Mayers etched in the record books as he smashed an unbeaten 210 off 310 deliveries to take West Indies to the most unlikely victory. 

6. Sri Lanka 391/6 at Colombo (RPS), 2017 

On a mighty successful trip where they won the ODI series 3-2, Zimbabwe had the chance to add another feather to their caps by pulling off their maiden Test victory over Sri Lanka. The visitors gave the hosts a mighty scare but fell painfully short of achieving an unprecedented win over them. Playing saviours for the Lankan Lions were Niroshan Dickwella and Asela Gunaratne, who both made valiant eighties towards their team's cause, stitching a match-winning stand for the sixth wicket after the hosts found themselves 5 for 203 at one stage. 

7. India 387/4 at Chepauk, 2008 

Ohh the master blaster... how good was Sachin Tendulkar!!! The great man helped India script one of Test cricket's finest comebacks with an unbeaten 103 off 196 deliveries in the final innings on a dry, turning surface at Chepauk. With India chasing 387, the game was set up by an excellent opening stand of 117 between Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, before Yuvraj Singh's admirable 85* gave Tendulkar the support he required. England had no answers to India's batting assault and were left astounded by the quality of the strokemaking on display. 

8. Pakistan 382/3 at Pallekele, 2015 

Sri Lanka were made to pay heavily for a tactical blunder in leaving out ace spinner Rangana Herath by a Pakistan batting unit that played spin with great skill and authority. Chasing a massive score of 377, Pakistan went on to blast 382/3, with hundreds of incredible substance from Shan Masood and Younis Khan, ably supported at the task by a half-century from the then Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq. The visitors turned things around with gusto after conceding a 63-run first-innings lead and went on to record a 2-1 Test series victory. 

9. England 378/3 at Edgbaston, 2022 

In a dramatic turnaround in Edgbaston, England smashed the Indian bowling attack to all corners through a remarkable batting effort for the final innings and pulled off their record highest run-chase ever. Chasing a difficult target of 378, the three lions ramped home with jaw-dropping ease, losing only three wickets in the process. Studded with outstanding centuries from in-form Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root, it is now the ninth most successful run-chase in the history of Test cricket. 

10. Australia 362/7 at Georgetown, 1978 

Last but not least in this elite list are once again the Aussies, who hold the record for Test cricket's tenth most successful run-chase dating back 1978 Barbados Test against the West Indies. Seeing the Calypso Kings fight their way to a lead of 358 in the third-innings after conceding one of 81 in the first half, the Australians could've lost their confidence and looked to go through with the motion. 

But they took the game back to the opposition with a lot of skill and resolve, chasing down the target at the loss of only seven wickets. To help pull off the chase, Australians had Graeme Wood and Craig Serjeant making centuries in difficult circumstances.