The key to winning Test matches is by taking the 20 wickets of the opposition that is on offer. At the same time, they would need to post huge totals on the board, batting just once in the Test and thus eliminating any possibility of a win for the opposition. Though the common mindset of teams coming into a Test is to dominate the proceedings, it is easier said than done.
This is largely thanks to the surfaces across the world offering something to bowlers and big totals (600 plus) at least in the current era have become rare. But there have been occasions where teams have piled up loads of runs.
Highest Team Totals in Test Cricket
| Team | Score | Innings | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 952/6d | 2 | India | Colombo (RPS) | 2 Aug 1997 |
| England | 903/7d | 1 | Australia | The Oval | 20 Aug 1938 |
| England | 849 | 1 | West Indies | Kingston | 3 Apr 1930 |
| England | 823/7d | 2 | Pakistan | Multan | 7 Oct 2024 |
| West Indies | 790/3d | 2 | Pakistan | Kingston | 26 Feb 1958 |
| Pakistan | 765/6d | 2 | Sri Lanka | Karachi | 21 Feb 2009 |
| Sri Lanka | 760/7d | 2 | India | Ahmedabad | 16 Nov 2009 |
| India | 759/7d | 2 | England | Chennai | 16 Dec 2016 |
| Australia | 758/8d | 2 | West Indies | Kingston | 11 Jun 1955 |
| Sri Lanka | 756/5d | 2 | South Africa | Colombo (SSC) | 27 Jul 2006 |
Key Stats:
26 – The number of times a side has posted 700 or more in an innings in Test cricket. 18 out of the 700+ totals have come since the start of this century (after 2000).
6 – Sri Lanka leads the way with 6 scores of over 700 in Test cricket while the likes of India, West Indies, and England come next with four such scores of 700-plus in Tests.
11 – The number shrinks to 11 when we take into account the 750+ scores and we have witnessed just four 800+ scores ever in Test cricket.
952– This is the highest total ever posted in an inning in the glorious history of Test cricket. Sri Lanka posted this mammoth score against India in 1997 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The only other score of 900+ was by England and it came in the year 1938 at the Iconic Oval.
823– The most recent entry into top-5 was by England who posted a mighty 823 away from home against Pakistan at Multan. England won by an inning and 47 runs. It is also only the 20th time two batters from the same side score more than 200 runs in a Test innings.
5 – Out of the top 10 highest totals in Test cricket, 5 came in wins. Apart from the Multan Test, England won the Test at the Oval in which they made 903 and the other wins were by India in Chennai, West Indies & Australia (both at Kingston).
