Highest run chase at the SCG: England will have to seal a record run-chase in order to win the fourth Test match in Sydney.
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During the fourth day of the ongoing fourth Ashes 2021-22 Test between Australia and England in Sydney, Australia batter Usman Khawaja has bailed his team out of trouble for the second time in this match.
Making a Test comeback after more than a couple of years, Khawaja has followed his ninth Test century with a 15th Test half-century as Australia’s lead has surpassed the 300-run mark.
Coming in to bat at No. 5 in the 22nd over, Khawaja ensured that England don’t run past the Australian batting lineup in the second innings to chase an achievable target. With Khawaja continuing to grind it out in the middle, the visitors will now have to score a record fourth innings successful total at the Sydney Cricket Ground to win this match.
The slog sweep comes out! #Ashes pic.twitter.com/FfuZbPeJBf
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 8, 2022
Highest run chase at the SCG
Readers must note that England hold the record for the highest fourth innings total at this venue. It was almost a century ago when they had amassed 411/10 chasing a 605-run target here.
A total of nine higher totals have been scored in the fourth innings of a Sydney Test before what is the highest successful run-chase at the SCG. It was in 2006 that Australia had sealed a 288-run chase in a thumping manner primarily due to the then captain Ricky Ponting scoring a match-winning 143* (159).
After eight highest run-chases by Australia at the SCG, England arrive as the first non-Australian team to seal a chase in a Sydney Test. It was way back in 1903 when England had won by 5 wickets while chasing a 194-run target.
| Team | Score | Overs | Opposition | Year |
| Australia | 288/2 | 60.3 | South Africa | 2006 |
| Australia | 276/4 | 62.4 | England | 1898 |
| Australia | 275/8 | 98.3 | England | 1907 |
| Australia | 260/6 | 97.1 | New Zealand | 1985 |
| Australia | 219/4 | 85.3 | England | 1980 |
| Australia | 214/5 | 52.2 | England | 1947 |
| Australia | 199/6 | 163.1 | England | 1883 |
| Australia | 198/3 | 43.1 | South Africa | 1911 |
| England | 194/5 | 95.5 | Australia | 1903 |
| Australia | 174/4 | 44.5 | West Indies | 2001 |
It is worth mentioning that 22 out of the Top 25 run-chases in Sydney Tests have been performed by the home team. The other three have been completed by England.
