Sports teach us many things in life. It teaches never to give up. When a bowler and his fielders play with a “never-say-die” attitude, the team performs on a different level. There have been many instances when a team successfully defended a modest target. Doing so in Test cricket is even more difficult, for the margin of error in this format is very small. Here are the Top 10 Smallest Targets Defended Successfully in Test Cricket-
1. England (85 Against Australia)
This was the tour in which ‘The Ashes’ was born. Australia toured England in 1882 to play a one-off Test at The Oval. In this low-scoring match, none of the innings saw even 130 being scored. England was given the target of just 85 in the last inning. Australian pacer Frederick Spofforth grabbed 7 wickets and Harry Boyle got rid of other English batters. This was the first time England lost a series against Australia in England. This prompted English media to say that the English cricket had died, and the Aussies took the Ashes with them, thus naming the subsequent series as ‘The Ashes’.
2. West Indies (99 Against Zimbabwe)
Zimbabwe has never beaten West Indies in Test cricket. They had a brilliant chance to do so when the two sides met for the first time in Test cricket. In this match at Port of Spain in 2000, it all came down to the last inning with Zimbabwe needing only 99 runs to win. But the West Indian pace-battery didn’t let that happen. Curtly Ambrose, who grabbed 4 wickets in the second innings, took 3 more for just 8 runs. West Indies defeated Zimbabwe by 35 runs.
3. India (107 Against Australia)
This match is counted as one of the best fight backs by the Indian team. In a dead-rubber at Mumbai in 2004, India batted first but was bowled out for 104. Australia posted 203, followed by India’s 205. Australia needed 104 runs to win. Harbhajan Singh took 5 wickets. Murali Karthik who took 4 wickets in the second innings continued by taking 3 wickets in the last innings. India eventually won the match by 13 runs.
4. England (111 Against Australia)
Australia toured England in 1896. In the Third Test at The Oval in London, Australia had the chance to win the match despite conceding a first-innings lead of 26 runs. The visitors were given a target of 111 runs. But English medium-pacer Jack Hearne followed his 6-wicket haul in the second innings with 4 more wickets in the last inning. Bobby Peel got rid of 6 batters to shoot down Australia for just 44.
5. West Indies (120 Against India)
West Indies hosted India in 1997 to play 5 Tests and 4 ODIs. In the Third Test at Bridgetown, India was asked to chase down 120 runs for the victory. But the West Indian pace trio of Ian Bishop, Curtly Ambrose, and Franklyn Rose shook the Indians. The Indians could manage just 81 to hand a 38-run victory to West Indies.
6. South Africa (117 Against Australia)
This was South Africa’s first tour to Australia after ICC lifted the anti-apartheid ban in 1991. In the Second Test at Sydney, the Australians needed only 117 runs to win but that proved too difficult for them. South Africa’s Fanie de Villiers claimed 6 wickets to rattle the hosts. South Africa eventually won the match by just 5 runs.
7. England (121 Against Australia)
The First Test of the 1886-87 Ashes took place in Sydney. England was skittled out on 45 to begin the series. It should’ve been an easy win for the Australians as they needed just 111 runs but English bowler Billy Barnes had other plans. Barnes took 6 wickets for 28 runs to restrict Australia to 97.
8. England (124 Against Australia)
The Sixth Test between the hosts England and tourists Australia was held at The Oval in 1997. England asked Australia to chase 124 runs to win the match. The Australians surrendered to the bowling duo of Andy Caddick and Phil Tufnell. The English won the match by 19 runs. Tufnell was chosen as the Player of the Match for his bowling figures of 11/93.
9. Australia (124 Against England)
The Australian team toured England in 1902. In the Fourth Test at Manchester, Australia posted 299 to start the proceedings. England replied with 262. With a 37-run first-innings lead, Australia was shut down for 86. England had the target of 124 runs. But it turned into a disaster for them. Australian bowler Hugh Trumble snared 6 wickets to turn the result in favour of Australia. Trumble ended up with the match haul of 10 wickets.
10. Australia (124 Against England)
Well, this was seriously low-scoring. None of the four innings was even 120 scored in. In the opening match at Lord’s in 1888, Australia’s 116-run inning later proved to be the difference between the two sides. Chasing 124 in the final innings, English batters failed to read Charlie Turner’s bowling and succumbed to a 61-run defeat. Turner registered a 10-wicket match-haul while JJ Ferris took 8 wickets.
