Oval Test records: Fourth innings totals have allured limelight due to the current situation of the England vs India fourth Test.
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On the back of picking three wickets in the morning session of the fourth day of the fourth Test of the ongoing India’s tour of England at The Oval, the home team has managed to stage a brief comeback.
India, who were leading by 230 runs at the lunch break, doubtlessly needed more runs under their belt to confidently step out in the fourth innings to defend a target on a pitch which has favoured the batsmen till now. On the other hand, Joe Root and his men were in search of four quick wickets for they wouldn’t have wanted to chase a target in vicinity of 300 runs in the fourth innings of a Test match.
The intriguing situation of the match calls for a riveting afternoon session on Day 4 as it has it in it to decide which team would sit on the driver’s seat with respect to both the match and the series.
Having said that, at the time of writing this story, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant and fast bowler Shardul Thakur have further strengthened India’s hold on the match as their brisk partnership has powered the lead in excess of 275 runs.
Oval Test records
With the weather conducive to continue with normal play in London, an archetype Day 5 of this match should be in place for each one of us. Before writing about the highest fourth-innings totals at The Oval, it is worth mentioning that this venue is known for high scores in the fourth innings.
Readers must note that it was at this venue that India opening batsman Lokesh Rahul and wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant had scored individual centuries in a 204-run partnership for the sixth wicket as India had scored 345/10 in a 464-run target.
Highest fourth innings scores at Oval (Only Tables Updated On July 30, 2023)
The below mentioned table shows the five highest fourth innings totals at The Kennington Oval, London.
| Highest Totals | Team | Against | Year | Target | Result |
| 429-8 | India | England | 1979 | 438 | Draw |
| 423-7 | South Africa | England | 1947 | 451 | Draw |
| 369-6 | England | India | 2007 | 500 | Draw |
| 348-10 | Australia | England | 2009 | 546 | ENG won by 197 runs |
| 345-10 | India | England | 2018 | 464 | ENG won by 118 runs |
As far as highest successful run-chases at The Oval are concerned, England will have to register a record chase at this venue if they are to win this match.
| Highest Successful Chase | Target | Team | Against | Year |
| 263-9 | 263 | England | Australia | 1902 |
| 255-2 | 253 | West Indies | England | 1963 |
| 242-5 | 242 | Australia | England | 1972 |
| 226-2 | 225 | West Indies | England | 1988 |
| 205-2 | 204 | England | South Africa | 1994 |
Kennington Oval London Last 10 Matches
Talking about the last 10 Test matches (excluding this one) at The Oval, England have won five and lost four at this venue. The hosts have emerged as the victorious side in the last three matches here. Out of the nine matches where results were possible at The Oval, four (two for England) have been innings victories.
Teams chasing a target have won only two out of the last 10 Tests here. Co-incidentally, Pakistan had managed to seal both these chases scoring 148/6 and 42/0 to win the matches in 2010 and 2016 respectively.
