Highest successful run chases in all the three formats of the game

Tests:

418 by West Indies against Australia, St.Johns, Antigua 2003

Successful Fourth innings run-chases are a rare commodity and few expected the West Indies, a side on the decline, to achieve the highest successful run-chase in the history of Test cricket especially against the rampaging Australians. Abiding by their unpredictability, the West Indies showed a glimpse of their former self and made history by chasing down 418 runs, a feat that left even their ardent fans puzzled and unable to fathom the magnanimity of the event that they had just witnessed.West Indies had already lost the series 0-3 and the economy of a first-ever whitewash against the marauding Aussies loomed largely when they were set an improbable 418 runs by Steve Waugh's team. With the first Innings of both teams ending at 240, the match was basically reduced to the second innings shoot-out. Aussie openers, Justin Langer (111) and Mathew Hayden (177) led the charge with a 242 run stand to help their team post 417 in the third innings.

The Fourth innings of a Test match are notoriously difficult with the pitch showing signs of wear and turn and is at its most unreliable. Yet, gritty hundreds by Ramnaresh Sarwan (105) and Shiv Chanderpaul (104) coupled by handy cameos from lower down the order by Banks (47) and Vasbert Drakes (27) assisted the hosts topple 27 years record of highest successful run chase (406) in the history of Test cricket, a feat previously achieved by India in April of 1976. Few teams have come close to shattering the record, none closer than South Africa in 2013, where they in a bizarre turn of events decided to play out a draw, 8 runs adrift of the what would have been a World record chase of 458.

Result: Australia (240, Justin Langer 42) & (417, Matthew Hayden 171) lost to West Indies (240, Brian Lara 68) & (7-418, Ramnaresh Sarwan 105) by three wickets.