Test cricket's top 10 dead rubber victories

3rd Sunfoil Test: South Africa v India, Day 4

Cricket is a game played to win and every match is as important. Yes, victory in the context of a series is what ultimately matters, yet there is a reason why all the matches of a series are played. It is because somewhere, the losing team must be given a chance to regain some lost confidence and pride.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And sometimes dead rubbers can provide a lot of joy and entertainment. For me, the most crucial consolation victories have either or all of these 4 elements - Changing the fate of a side in the future, records broken, special and larger than life moments and them being massive upsets.

Here are the top 10 dead rubber victories in Test cricket since the year 2000 (in no particular order as such)


#1 India beat South Africa by 63 runs - Johannesburg, 2018

The most recent of such wins.

Having lost the first two Tests and the series with it, Virat Kohli and co. came into the third and final Test at Johannesburg under severe pressure. The World No.1 side faced its toughest challenge of the tour on a pitch completely 'unIndian', with unpredictable and at times, dangerous bounce.

Yet the side seemed to go with a nothing to lose attitude, which was shown by Kohli winning the toss and batting first. The captain himself, along with the pace battery of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, ensured that India pulled off a 63-run win in a low-scoring game.

It was admirable to see the Indian batsmen stick it out in unfavourable conditions, reminding many of India's win in Leeds in 2002.

#2 India beat Australia by 13 runs - Mumbai, 2004

Fourth Test - India v Australia: Day 3

Under Adam Gilchrist's captaincy, Australia managed to conquer their 'Final Frontier' after 35 years as they beat India in their own backyard in a Test series. However, on a treacherous pitch that spun back and forth, the world champions were unable to chase 105 runs to win the match! A part-time bowler like Michael Clarke ended with figures of 6-9 in an innings.

But the Indians weren't down and out, perhaps gaining confidence from Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman scoring half-centuries in the second innings. With the spin trio of Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik, India wrapped up a memorable yet controversial win within 3 days, even as they lost the 4-match series 1-2.

It was a rare Indian win considering that they were bowled out for a paltry 104 in the first innings, and trailed the Aussies by 99 runs.

#3 West Indies beat Australia by 3 wickets - Antigua, 2003

Vasbert Drakes of the West Indies celebrates the win

A world record that stands even after 15 years. Australia had beaten West Indies comprehensively in all the three Tests prior to this and the hosts were facing the prospect of being on the wrong side of a whitewash. But this game had more than its fair share of ups and downs. In fact, both the teams were bowled out for an identical score of 240 in the first innings.

The lanky Windies pacer, Jermaine Lawson stunned the Aussies with a 7-wicket haul. Yet, Steve Waugh and co. set West Indies a mammoth 418 runs to win. It took hundreds from the Guyanese pair of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul to pull off perhaps the unlikeliest and most incredible victories of all time in Test cricket.

This was against an Australian bowling attack featuring Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie!

#4 England beat Australia by 225 runs - Sydney, 2003

Richard Dawson of England is congratulated

An away Test win against the World's No.1 team is a special feeling. For England, it was belated as it came in the fifth and final Ashes Test of the 2002-03 series. The Poms were battered in all the four Tests prior to it but that did not spoil their New Year plans at the SCG.

They matched Australia at every step in the first innings, despite Steve Waugh's famous century in which he struck a boundary on the final ball of Day 2 to reach the landmark.

However, they went ahead in the game courtesy Michael Vaughan's 183. Australia were set a daunting target of 452 to win and fell short by a huge 225-run margin. Andy Caddick's 10-wicket haul ensured that England avoided the humiliation of a whitewash.

#5 Australia beat South Africa by 103 runs - Sydney, 2009

Image Credit: Sydney Morning Herald

The Sydney Cricket Ground makes the list again and as does Australia, but this time, they were on the winning side of a dead rubber. The Aussies had lost a home series for the first time in two decades as South Africa pounced on the opportunity to defeat a side in transition. They even chased down a mammoth target of 414 successfully earlier in the series at Perth.

A dented Australian side wanted new beginnings and they found one in 2009. Despite Michael Clarke's 138 in the first innings, it was fast bowler Peter Siddle who was the star of the show. His 8-wicket haul won him the Man of the Match award.

However, this match is remembered more so for South African skipper Graeme Smith walking out to bat at No.11 in the second innings despite having a broken left hand. This spirited effort was one of cricket's iconic moments, which won the hearts of fans all over the world.

It also proved to be Australian opener Matthew Hayden's last Test match, who also decided to call it a day at the same ground where two years earlier, his teammates Justin Langer, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath had done the same.

#6 Australia beat South Africa by 7 wickets - Adelaide, 2016

Australia v South Africa - 3rd Test: Day 3

South Africa have found a lot of success in Australia since the last decade. The Proteas once again were the far superior outfit in the first two Test matches, as the Aussies succumbed to five consecutive Test defeats in a row. Sinking to an all-time low in Hobart compelled the hosts to make as many as five changes for the Day-Night Test in Adelaide, even though the series was lost.

The South African skipper, Faf du Plessis hit back at those critics who accused him of ball-tampering during the series, standing out with an unbeaten 118 in the first innings. Considering the tricky conditions, it was a top knock. However, Usman Khawaja steered the Aussie ship with a century of his own, as his 145 gave the home side a vital 124-run lead.

With Mitchell Starc's 4-wicket burst and Nathan Lyon returning to form with 3 wickets, Australia finally managed to get past South Africa by 7 wickets and end their losing streak in dramatic fashion. They remain unbeaten in all Day-Night Tests so far.

#7 South Africa beat Australia by 5 wickets - Durban, 2002

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Steve Waugh's all-conquering Australia may have won one series after another with their aggressive brand of cricket but they let out their generous side in some games that didn't matter. South Africa were the host nation this time and it took them a run chase of 340 to win this one. A huge achievement, considering that a bowling line up of McGrath, Lee, Gillespie and Warne are coming at you in bowling-friendly conditions.

Just like in their famous run chase of 434 against the same opposition, Herschelle Gibbs scored a century and proved to be Australia's nemesis. The hosts were able to fight back in the match, bowling the visitors out of 186 after 3-wicket hauls from Makhaya Ntini and Jacques Kallis.

#8 England beat Australia by 6 wickets - Leeds, 2001

England v Australia

Australia seemed to have taken their battered Ashes rivals too lightly, considering how they outclassed them to retain the urn within the first 3 Tests itself. So coming into the 4th Test seemed like a formality. Not for the English though, who were intent on making a strong statement.

Ricky Ponting returned back to form after a horrendous tour of India earlier that year, with a top-notch 144. This was the match that convinced Australia to make him bat at No.3 in the future as well, paving the way for a glorious career. Apart from Ponting, Martyn also chipped with 118 runs to eventually give the Aussies a 138-run lead.

Surprisingly, the stand-in skipper, Adam Gilchrist declared in the second innings, setting England 315 runs to win the game. However, Mark Butcher starred again in an Ashes Test, scoring an unbeaten 227-ball 173 to take the Englishmen to the winning line. Perhaps, it proved to be the first upset in an Ashes series during the 2000s, sparking many more to come.

#9 Australia beat England by an innings and 46 runs - The Oval, 2015

England v Australia: 5th Investec Ashes Test - Day Four

Australia came into the Ashes 2015 as favourites to win against an English side still trying to find their feet. As it turned out, they were swept of theirs as mediocre batting performances on swinging pitches cost the visitors dearly.

It turned out to be skipper Michael Clarke's final Test match, as he announced his retirement after the series loss. So the Aussies had much to play for. Batting first in much favourable conditions, Steven Smith stamped his authority once again on England's bowlers with his 143. With half-centuries from David Warner and Adam Voges, the visitors put up 481 runs on the board in the first innings.

Smith, the captain in waiting, was in the action again as he denied England captain Alastair Cook an elusive Ashes hundred in the second innings, dismissing him for 85 with his leg spin bowling. That man, Peter Siddle again took it on him to bowl his side to a consolation win with a 4-wicket haul. This made many question Siddle's exclusion from the previous games.

England may have won the series 3-2, but Australia gave not only Clarke but also opener Chris Rogers, a happy farewell from the game of cricket.

#10 West Indies beat Pakistan by 5 wickets - Sharjah, 2016

Pakistan v West Indies - 3rd Test: Day Five

Ever since Pakistan made UAE their 'home' to play cricket in, they have virtually been unbeaten. Having won the series against a West Indies side whose ineptitude of playing top-level Test cricket was questioned heavily, the 3rd and the final match of the 2016 series in Sharjah was hardly given any attention. Pakistani fans would have already started rejoicing, a 3-0 whitewash was guaranteed.

However, as the match unfolded, West Indies seemed to have found a new lease of life. Young opener Kraigg Braithwaite became the first opening batsman in the history of Test cricket to remain unbeaten in both innings of the match, with scores of 142* and 60*. Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo was another top contributor with 7 wickets in the game, while captain Jason Holder joined the party with 5 wickets in the second innings.

All this made a star-studded Pakistani batting line-up featuring the likes of Asad Shafiq, Younis and Misbah ul Haq, collapse. Despite some nerves in their run chase of 153, the Windies pulled off a 5-wicket win. This was a rare away win and their first since May 2015.

Did the West Indies open the floodgates for other teams to consider Pakistan beatable in the UAE? Possibly.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava