Top 10 Lowest Totals In The History Of Test Cricket

On the first session of Day 3 on Saturday in Adelaide, the Indian team under Virat Kohli suffered humiliation by the hands or the balls from Australian bowlers – Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins the main wrecker in chief – as the visitors recorded their lowest total of 36 in Test cricket history.

At one point India was 19/6 – losing 5 wickets in 5 runs – and were staring down at the sight of the lowest total in Test cricket. However, as all 11 players went back to the dressing room with single-digit scores, somehow the team managed to surpass the overall lowest score in Test cricket. India’s 36 is the joint 4th lowest score in the longer format of the game at the international level. All in all, it was India’s nightmare after the overnight lead of 62.

Top 10 Lowest Totals In The History Of Test Cricket

10) 42-Australia vs England 1888

England toured Australia for a solitary Test match in Sydney in 1988. Batting first the visitors scored 113 runs, however, in reply Australia was rolled up for 42 in their first innings- as only one batsman made into double figures.

On a difficult batting track, England made 137 runs in their second innings. Chasing 209, the hosts were once again dismissed on a lowly total of 82. England won the only Test of the tour by a massive 126 runs.

9) 42-New Zealand vs Australia, 1946

New Zealand recorded their then the lowest – now second-lowest – total in Test cricket when they hosted neighbours, Australia for a lone Test in Wellington. Lead by Walter Hadlee, New Zealand batted first and were dismissed for 42 runs inside 40 overs. The visitors took a lead of 157 runs.

The hosts were bowled out for 52 in their second innings, as Australia, led by Bill Brown, won the match by an innings and 103 runs.

8) 38-Ireland vs England, 2019

The newly promoted Test team, Ireland were about to register their most memorable victory in 2019 against England at The Lord’s. On the back of Tim Murtagh’s five-for,  the visitors dismissed England for a paltry total of 85 and did manage to take a healthy lead of 122.

In reply, England batted better than they did in their first innings, and with the help of fifties from Jack Leach and Jason Roy, the visitors were set an achievable target of 182 runs. On what looked like could be a monumental day in Ireland cricket, the dreams collapsed sooner than expected as they were mashed up inside 16 overs for a total of 38- Chirs Woakes and Stuart Broad took 6 wickets and 4 wickets, respectively.

7) 36-India vs Australia, 2020

Everyone is in shock – the Australian would also be a bit surprised – as the Indian team was winded up for the score of 36 in the Adelaide Test, which is the maiden day-night contest between the two sides.

India started Day 3 with a crucial lead of 62 runs and would have wished to pile on the total to win the game on a difficult batting surface. However, they wouldn’t have imagined, even in their worst dreams that they would be bundled for their lowest total in Test cricket as Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins ran through the line-up. The host chased their target of 90 runs without much fuss.

6) 36-Australia vs England, 1902

On Australia’s 1902 Ashes tour to England, they recorded their smallest score in Test cricket- which still stands. In the opening match of the series in Birmingham, England batted first and declared at 376/9. Australia was steamrolled for 36 in 23 overs in their first innings. No batsman but one went into double figures as Wilfred Rhodes took 7 wickets in the innings.

5) 36-South Africa vs Australia, 1932

South Africa was dismissed for less than 50 twice in the same Test match. They suffered this embarrassment at the hands of Australia in the 1932 Test in Melbourne. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, South Africa’s first innings was wrapped up for 36 – 10 out of 11 batsmen got out for a single-digit score. In the second round, the visitors made 45, as Australia won by an innings and 72 runs.

4) 35-South Africa vs England, 1899

Those were days when the South African team was the whipping boys for the bigger teams, even in their home country. In the 1899 Cape Town Test against England, chasing a target of 246 runs, the hosts were dissolved for just 35 runs as 10 batters recorded a single-digit score.

3) 30-South Africa vs England,1896

South Africa hosted England in 1896 for 3 Tests. In the first Test in Port Elizabeth, South Africa was set a target of 319 runs after being dismissed for 93 in the first innings.

The hosts couldn’t get anywhere near the target as George Lohmann took a 7-wicket haul restricting them to a total of 30 runs.

2) 30-South Africa vs England, 1924

There wasn’t much joy or celebrations for the South African team about a century ago as they scored the same score again against the same opposition. On their 1924 tour to England in the opening Test in Birmingham, South Africa was bowled out for a scarce score of 30 runs- nobody, not a single batsman reached double figures; in fact, the 11 extras was the maximum contribution to South Africa’s total.

1) 26-New Zealand vs England,1955

New Zealand’s team total of 26 runs in 1955 against England in Auckland is still the lowest total in Test cricket. Apart from the opener, Bert Sutcliffe, who scored 11 runs, rest everyone got out for single-digit score-5 batsmen went back without opening their account. England won by an innings and 20 runs.

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