Highest 4th innings chase: If England play in contrast to their recent form, Day 5 of the Adelaide Test might well turn into a cliffhanger.
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Individual half-centuries from batter Marnus Labuschagne (51) and vice-captain Travis Head (51) helped Australia in timing their declaration in a better way on the fourth day of the ongoing second Ashes 2021-22 Test against England in Adelaide.
Been reduced to 55/4 at one point in time, the second Australian innings could have gone anywhere had the English bowlers continued to pick wickets at regular intervals. However, Labuschagne and Head’s innings were followed by all-rounder Cameron Green scoring 33* (43) as the hosts declared their innings on 230/9 in 61 overs.
Chasing a 468-run target, England have already lost their top-order leaving vice-captain Ben Stokes to battle it hard for a draw. With England needing to win 386 runs with six wickets in hand on Day 5, salvaging a draw would be as great as an overseas Test victory for them.
Highest 4th innings chase in Test cricket
While the chances of the same happening are meagre, only a miraculous batting effort will propel England to a victory at the Adelaide Oval tomorrow. Assuming that the same happens, it will be the highest-ever run-chase in Test cricket.
The current record for highest fourth innings chase in Test cricket lies with West Indies, who had sealed a 418-run target against Australia in Antigua 18 years ago. The second-highest run-chase in Test cricket is also the highest on Australian soil. It was achieved by South Africa when they had chased down a 414-run target in Perth 13 years ago.
The record for the highest-ever fourth innings score rests with England, who had scored a mammoth 654/5 in a 696-run chase during their tour of South Africa in 1939 in Durban. England’s highest-ever fourth-innings score in Australia had come at the Melbourne Cricket Ground when they had posted 417/10 in a 463-run chase in 1977.
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As far as the highest-ever fourth innings score in Adelaide is concerned, India hold that record for scoring 445/10 in a 493-run chase in 1978. The highest-ever successful run-chase at the Adelaide Oval was registered by Australia themselves when they had sealed a 315-run target against England in 1902.
