There have been 19 instances of a team successfully defending a target of less than 150 in Test cricket.
In the nearly 150-year history of Test cricket, only twice has a team successfully defended a target of less than 100. Both instances occurred 118 years apart. There have been 17 other instances of successful defences of targets between 100 and 150 at the time of writing, but only three of those have come in the 21st century.
Here are the five lowest successfully defended totals in men's Test history.
85 - Australia, won by seven runs vs England, 1882
In an extremely low-scoring Test at The Oval, Australia batted first and folded for 63, before bowling out England for 101 thanks to a seven-for by Frederick Spofforth. A slightly better batting performance in the second innings where opener Hugh Massie scored 55 off 60 and the rest of the lineup made 67 in 53 overs, saw Australia set England a target of 85.
Also read: What made Fred Spofforth 'The Demon Bowler'? – Almanack
At 51-2, England looked well on course for an easy win before a collapse saw them reduced to 70-5. A second collapse saw them get bowled out for 77, eight short of the target. Spofforth finished with another seven-wicket haul, taking his match tally to 14. “The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia,” lamented a subsequent mock obituary in The Sporting Times. By the time England left for the Australian shores later that year, the press backed to them to win the ashes (still in small letters) back.
99 - West Indies, won by 35 runs vs Zimbabwe, 2000
In the first Test of the series at Port of Spain, West Indies were bowled out for 187 in the first innings before conceding a lead of 49 runs. Andy Flower scored an unbeaten hundred for Zimbabwe. When West Indies were bowled out for 147 in the second innings, setting up a target of only 99 for the visitors, there wasn't a lot of hope, but the Zimbabwe batting lineup didn't turn up. Apart from Grant Flower's painstaking 126-ball 26, none of the batters went into double digits as they folded for 63, losing the game by 35 runs.
107 - India, won by 13 runs vs Australia, 2004
After winning the Bengaluru and Nagpur Tests by huge margins and securing the series, the Aussies came to Mumbai high on confidence. Knocking India over for 104 in the first innings, Australia took a 99-run lead. India could only manage 205 in the third innings, thanks to Michael Clarke's famous 6-9. Chasing 107, Australia would have fancied their chances of ending the series without losing a game, but the spin-trio of Harbhajan Singh (5-29), Murali Kartik (3-32), and Anil Kumble (1-5) ensured India registered one of their most memorable Test wins at home.
111 - England, won by 13 runs vs Australia, 1887
In the first Test of the 1887 tour of Australia, England registered their lowest Test score ever - 45, as Charlie Turner (6-15) and JJ Ferris (4-27) shared the spoils. Australia made 119 in response, before England improved on their first innings outing to score 184 in the second. Chasing 111, Australia were 58-4 at one stage, before it came crashing down as they were bowled out for 97 in 107 overs. Billy Barnes bowled an incredible spell of 46-29-28-6 to take England to a 13-run victory.
111 - England, won by 66 runs vs Australia, 1896
Nearly a decade after the 1887 Sydney Test, England gave Australia the exact same target, 111, this time at The Oval. This came after they had squandered a 26-run lead in the first innings to get dismissed for just 84 in the second. Australia's Hugh Trumble took a six-for in each innings. However, if they were able to get close to the target in Sydney, Australia never begun their chase here. By the time they reached 11, they had lost six wickets. By the time they reached 25, they had lost nine. A 19-run tenth wicket partnership took them to 44, their third-lowest total in Test cricket.
Lowest totals successfully defended by each team in Tests
Australia - 85
West Indies - 99
India - 107
England - 111
South Africa - 117
Pakistan - 127
Sri Lanka - 136
New Zealand - 137
Bangladesh - 204
Zimbabwe - 235
Afghanistan - 398
Ireland - NA
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