Earning a win in a Test match is a big deal for any team. The bigger the margin of the win, the more satisfaction the team experiences. The addition of the word ‘innings’ in the victory margin proves the domination the team has shown. A team always cherishes the moment when it thrashes its opponent by a margin of an innings. Let us have a look at the Top 10 Biggest Margins of Victory (by an innings) in Test Cricket-
1. England (Innings And 579 Runs)
In the Fifth Test of the Australian Tour of England 1938 at The Oval, England won the toss and rightly chose to bat first. Opener Leonard Hutton smashed 364, England’s highest individual score in Test cricket. Maurice Leyland and Joe Hardstaff notched up 150+ scores each as England declared at 903/7, the second-highest inning score in Tests. Australia succumbed to the pressure and eventually lost the match by a whopping margin of an innings and 579 runs.
2. Australia (Innings And 360 Runs)
Australia visited Johannesburg to clash against South Africa in 2002. Batting first, Australia piled up 652/7d. Adam Gilchrist notched his career-best 204* apart from Matthew Hayden and Damien Martyn scoring a century each. Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne then posted the match figures of 8/49 and 6/70 to suffocate South Africa to an innings and 360 runs defeat.
3. West Indies (Innings And 336 Runs)
India hosted West Indies in the Third Test at Kolkata in 1959. Batting first, West Indian Rohan Kanhai piled up his best score of 256. Basil Butcher and Gary Sobers crossed the 100-run mark to propel visitors to 614/5d. Indian batters couldn’t handle the express pace of Roy Gilchrist, who took 9 wickets in the match. India crumbled under 200 twice in two innings to hand West Indies an innings and 336 runs win.
4. Australia (Innings And 332 Runs)
The Ashes 1946-47 was hosted by Australia. In the opening test at Brisbane, Australia came out to bat first. Sir Don Bradman smashed 187 alongside a century from Lindsay Hassett and a 95-run knock from Colin McCool. Australia was bowled out on 645. England was bowled out on 141 and was asked to bat again. In the third innings, England could manage just 172 as Australia won by an innings and 332 runs.
5. Pakistan (Innings And 324 Runs)
Inzamam-ul-Haq was all class in the First Test against New Zealand at Lahore in 2002. Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Opener Imran Nazir and Inzamam-ul-Haq stitched a 204-run stand for the third wicket before Nazir got out on 127. Inzamam scored his career-best 329, the second-best by a Pakistan batter in Tests. Pakistan folded up for 643 before dismissing New Zealand for 73 and 246. Pakistan won the match by an innings and 324 runs.
6. West Indies (Innings And 322 Runs)
In this match at Wellington in 1995, West Indies batted first against the hosts New Zealand. Brian Lara (147), Jimmy Adams (151), and Junior Murray (101*) scored centuries to power West Indies to 660/5d. New Zealand could manage an aggregate of just 338 runs across both their innings. Courtney Walsh recorded the match bowling figures of 13/55. West Indies emerged victorious by an innings 322 runs.
7. West Indies (Innings And 310 Runs)
West Indies landed in Dhaka to play against Bangladesh in 2002. Bangladesh batted first but got blown away on 139 runs. In reply, West Indies posted a mammoth 536. Ramnaresh Sarwan scored his maiden Test century apart from the fifties from Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels, and Ridley Jacobs. In the third innings, Jermaine Lawson grabbed 6 wickets to take West Indies to a win by an innings and 310 runs.
8. New Zealand (Innings And 301 Runs)
In this match at Napier in 2012, New Zealand batted first to pile up 495/7d riding on centuries from Ross Taylor and BJ Watling. In reply, Zimbabwe found no answers to Chris Martin’s pace as they were shot out at 51. The Kiwis enforced the follow-on on Zimbabwe and shot them out again on 143 to win the match by an innings and 301 runs. Martin recorded his best figures in an innings of 6/26 in the third innings.
9. New Zealand (Innings And 294 Runs)
Daniel Vettori was in great form against Zimbabwe in 2005 at Harare. In the first innings, he and Brendon McCullum scored a century each to place New Zealand atop a 452-run mountain. Vettori then recorded the figures of 2/1 and 4/28 in the second and third innings to strangle Zimbabwe batters. His all-round performance helped New Zealand post a win by an innings and 294 runs.
10. England (Innings And 285 Runs)
India toured England in 1972. In the Second Test at Lord’s, English batters feasted on Indian bowlers as England posted 629 in the first innings. John Edrich was unfortunate to get out on 96 but 3 other batters scored centuries, with Dennis Amiss scoring 188. India fought hard to post 302 in the second innings but meekly surrendered in the third innings to get out for just 42.
