5 Batsmen who outscored the opposition in both innings combined in a Test match

Fourth Test - Australia v India: Day 3

Cricket is a bizarre game. More often than not, it scribbles down instances that are barely believable to even the cricketing fraternity, let alone the sporting world out there. In this article, we delve into five such eccentric occurrences where a batsman outscored the combined two-innings score of his opposition, in a Test match!

#5 Bobby Abel v South Africa (1889)

Bobby Abel
Bobby Abel

In what was South Africa's only 2nd Test at that speck of time, England clobbered the hosts by a 202-run victory at Cape Town. Bobby Abel played out a spectacular innings, scoring 120 runs to take England to 292.

His century was the first-ever first-class ton on South African shores. In reply, England's Johnny Briggs wreaked havoc and took 7 wickets as the hosts slumped to a mere 47 runs in the first innings.

But the worse was yet to come. Briggs remained unplayable in the 2nd innings too; bagging 8 wickets for an unbelievable 11 runs. South Africa could only manage 90 runs in their two innings combined, 30 less than Abel's 120 in a single innings.

#4 Patsy Hendren v Australia (1928)

Patsy Hendren (Courtesy The Saleroom)
Patsy Hendren (Courtesy The Saleroom)

It was the first Test of the Australian Ashes summer where the hosts were absolutely thrashed by the Poms at Brisbane.

Batting first, England posted 521, thanks to Patsy Hendren's gutsy knock coming at No 6. He contributed 169 runs in no time at all. Hendren was the last man to get out in that innings. In reply, Australia got bundled out on a mere 122.

Hendren contributed 45 in the second innings to help England set a whopping target of 742 runs. Australia, though, slipped to just 66 runs, leading to a mammoth 675-run humiliating defeat in their own backyard. The match is also remembered as Don Bradman's debut appearance in Test cricket.

#3 Len Hutton v Australia (1938)

Len Hutton (Courtesy ESPNCricinfo)
Len Hutton (Courtesy ESPNCricinfo)

A decade passed and Australia were still receiving heavy battering at the hands of the English. Len Hutton put on an absolute show to lift the reeling England and had them draw the Ashes in the final match of the series.

Hutton's remarkable 364 in the first innings crossed Wally Hammond's 336 as the highest Test score by an individual at that time. England racked up a mountainous 903 runs in the first innings which was also the highest team total at that time.

Australia were wrapped up cheaply for 201 and 123 in their two innings respectively and were comprehensively outscored by Hutton. Injuries to Don Bradman and other premier batsmen didn't help the Aussies' cause, either.

#2 Gordon Greenidge v England (1976)

Gordon Greenidge (Courtesy Cricfit)
Gordon Greenidge (Courtesy Cricfit)

Windies were in a bit of a bother early on in the third Test match at the Old Trafford. They were reeling on 26 for 4 with the likes of Viv Richards and Roy Fredericks already back in the pavilion. It was then that the great Gordon Greenidge rose to the occasion and notched up a magnificent 134.

In response, the hosts were knocked out on just 71 runs. Greenidge wasn't done just yet, though. Through class and aggression, he registered his 2nd ton (101) of the match to help West Indies set a daunting target of 552 runs for the Englishmen.

It was too tough an ask as England yet again strayed from the track and lost steam at just 126 runs, compiling a hideous 197 in their two innings combined.

#1 Matthew Hayden v Pakistan (2002)

M
Matthew Hayden

This is, by far, the most horrendous performance by a team on this list (going by the modern standards of the game). In a game being played in a shade under 50 degrees in the scorching heat of Sharjah, Pakistan put up an utter horror show.

Choosing to bat first, Pakistan were cheaply dismissed for a 59-run team total. Despite the extreme temperatures, Matthew Hayden displayed utmost grit and dedication to register one of the finest tons of his career (119), proving there were no demons in the pitch.

Pakistan, though, sought out for the worse. They were again bundled out for just 53 and consequently broke the record for their lowest team total, twice within the same Test. Aussies wrapped up the game under two days, utterly humiliating Pakistan in the process.

Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download Cric Rocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more!

Quick Links

Edited by Raunak J