List: All instances when a team lost despite scoring 500 runs in an innings in test cricket

Australia have lost thrice after scoring over 500 runs in an innings in test cricket.

Scoring 500 runs in an innings in test cricket often provides a safety net to the team. Most of the times, the teams tend to win games or at least the match ends in a draw when a team piles up over 500 runs.

A team and its batters are applauded for their special effort if they cross the 500-run mark. But do you know what’s most jaw-dropping? When a team loses despite scoring 500 runs in an innings.

This is a rare event. In the history of 147 years of test cricket, only 18 times has a team lost a test match after amassing 500 or more runs in any of their innings.

A lot of factors have to come together for a team to lose a game of test cricket even after aggregating this much amount of runs. The pitch tends to favour the opposition team more – it becomes a belter when they bat and a challenging surface when they bowl.

The shame and ignominy of losing a test match despite scoring 500 runs in an innings is immensely embarrassing. More so when you lose at home. A match that was looking well in your bag not only gets in balance, but then it is snatched away from you.

In this article, we will list out the 18 instances when a team lost a test match even after registering a total of 500 runs or more in an innings.

To note is that the Pakistan vs England test at The Oval in 2006 was awarded to England after Pakistan refused to play the match after umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove levied a five-run penalty on Pakistan for ball-tampering on the fourth day of the match.

Instances when a team lost despite scoring 500 runs in an innings in test cricket:

1. Australia (580 & 166) lost by 10 runs vs England (325 & 437), Sydney, 1894
2. South Africa (506 & 80) lost by 89 runs vs Australia (348 & 327), Melbourne, 1911
3. England (519 & 257) lost by 5 wickets vs Australia (491 & 287/5), Melbourne, 1929
4. Australia (520 & 209) lost by 6 wickets vs South Africa, Melbourne, 1953
5. India ((fo) 164 & 510) lost by 6 wickets vs England, Leeds, 1967
6. West Indies (526/7d & 92/2d) lost by 7 wickets vs England (404 & 215/3), Port Of Spain, 1968
7. Pakistan (574/8d & 200) lost by 92 runs vs Australia (441/5d & 425), Melbourne, 1973
8. Sri Lanka (547/8d & 164) lost by 16 runs vs Australia (256 & 471), Colombo, 1992
9. Australia (556 & 196) lost by 4 wickets vs India (523 & 233/6), Adelaide, 2003
10. Pakistan (538 & 155) lost by 168 runs vs England (515 & 345), Leeds, 2006
11. Pakistan (504, DNB) vs England (173 & 298/4), The Oval, 2006 (Pakistan forfeited the test)
12. England (551/6d & 129) lost by 6 wickets vs Australia (513 & 168/4), Adelaide, 2006
13. India (532 & 210) lost by 122 runs vs Australia (463 & 401/7d), Sydney, 2008
14. Bangladesh (556 & 167) lost by 77 runs vs West Indies (527/4d & 273), Mirpur, 2012
15. New Zealand (523 & 220) lost by 124 runs vs England (389 & 478), Lord’s, 2015
16. Bangladesh (595/8d & 160) lost by 7 wickets vs New Zealand (539 & 217/3), Wellington, 2017
17. New Zealand (553 & 284) lost by 5 wickets vs England (539 & 299/5), Nottingham, 2022
18. Pakistan (579 & 268) lost by 74 runs vs England (657 & 264/7d), Rawalpindi, 2022
19. Pakistan (556 & 220) lost by an innings and 47 runs vs England (823/7d), Multan, 2024

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