Cricket is a game of margins they say and this is thanks to the unpredictable nature of the sport, especially Test cricket. The longest format of the game is played across 5 days and that’s a lot of time. Hence, there is a chance for a team who are down and out, to make a comeback in the Test and turn the tide, something which is not possible in white ball cricket (T20s and ODIs).
The nature of a comeback can be bouncing back from a mini-setback, be it after a collapse while batting or the opposition has scored a lot of runs. In both ways, Test cricket offers room for the side that is lagging to stage a counter-attack in more ways.
Here in this list, we will see how teams that have been bowled out for a meager score in their first innings turned things around to win that Test match.
Lowest 1st Innings Team Totals to Win
| Team | 1st Inns Total | Against | Result | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 45 | Australia | ENG won by 13 runs | Sydney | 1887 |
| Australia | 63 | England | AUS won by 7 runs | The Oval | 1882 |
| England | 75 | Australia | ENG won by 94 runs | Melbourne | 1894 |
| England | 76 | South Africa | ENG won by 53 runs | Headingly | 1907 |
| England | 85 | Ireland | ENG won by 143 runs | Lord’s | 2019 |
| England | 92 | South Africa | ENG won by 210 runs | Cape Town | 1899 |
| Pakistan | 99 | England | PAK won by 71 runs | Dubai | 2012 |
| Pakistan | 102 | New Zealand | PAK won by 65 runs | Faisalabad | 1990 |
| India | 104 | Australia | IND won by 13 runs | Wankhede | 2004 |
| Australia | 112 | England | AUS won by 229 runs | Melbourne | 1902 |
Key Stats
45 – The lowest recorded first innings score but yet was enough to secure a win for the side. It was England who won even after getting bowled for 45 in an Ashes Test match against Australia at Sydney in 1887. It is also the only time where a team gets bowled out for under 50 in the first innings earning a win.
34 – The number of times a team has won a Test match after being bowled out for 150 or less in their first innings. This number reduces to 16 when we take into the first innings total to be 125 or less.
