With Australia heading comfortably towards a lead in excess of the 300-run mark in their second innings, India will have to register the highest successful run-chase in Tests at Kennington Oval to win their maiden ICC World Test Championship title.
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While the wickets seems decent enough to bat on, it will definitely be an uphill task for Rohit Sharma‘s men given the history of successful chases not only at this very venue, but also across all the Test matches played in England.
The highest successful fourth innings run-chase in England came way back in the year 1948 at Headingley, while the one at Kennington Oval was registered in 1902. Interestingly, only two teams in England and Pakistan make it to the Top-10 list of successful run-chases at The Oval in the ongoing century.
Highest 4th Innings Successful Run Chase In Tests At The Oval
It is England who hold the record for registering the highest fourth innings successful run-chase at The Oval in 1902. Chasing a 263-run target against Australia, the English side had emerged victorious by 1 wicket in what appears to be an edge-of-a-seat thriller on paper.
As far as the ongoing century is concerned, only England (2008) and Pakistan (2010) are the two teams to have successfully chased down a target at this venue in the fourth innings. While England had achieved the target of 197 runs against South Africa, Pakistan had chased down a 148-run target against the home team.
| S.No. | Target | Team | Opposition | Year |
| 1 | 263 | England | Australia | 1902 |
| 2 | 253 | West Indies | England | 1963 |
| 3 | 242 | Australia | England | 1972 |
| 4 | 225 | West Indies | England | 1988 |
| 5 | 204 | England | South Africa | 1994 |
| 6 | 197 | England | South Africa | 2008 |
| 7 | 173 | India | England | 1971 |
| 8 | 163 | England | South Africa | 1951 |
| 9 | 148 | Pakistan | England | 2010 |
| 10 | 143 | England | West Indies | 1991 |
Team India, mentioned above in the list, had registered its first ever Test victory in England at this very ground. The Ajit Wadekar-led side had defeated the hosts by four wickets, which had also meant that it was the team’s maiden Test series victory as well on England soil.
For those unaware, India and England went into a final Test match after drawing the first two matches at Lord’s and Manchester, respectively.
