Shortest completed Test match in history: Shortest Test match by days with result

The first Test match of the ongoing South Africa’s tour of Australia in Brisbane has ended in a couple of days. A grand total of 34 wickets fell across six sessions as Australia gained a 1-0 series lead in a three-match series.

The fact that Australia were propelled by 19 extras and lost four wickets chasing a 34-run target on Day 2 sums up the lively nature of the green and grassy pitch at the Gabba.

With a total of eight skilled fast bowlers picking 31 wickets between them in the 90.2 overs they bowled out of the total 106.2 overs bowled in the match, batters found themselves in trouble from the word go. Pretty much a thankless job, slip fielders from both the teams put on a spectacle to assist bowlers throughout the carnage yesterday and today.

Not that the pitch wasn’t expected to behave in this manner but no one would’ve thought or even wanted for a five-day match to finish approximately an hour before Stumps, Day 2.

One of the two half-centurions in the match, Australia batter Travis Head was adjudged the Player of the Match for scoring a game-changing 92 (96) with the help of 13 fours and a six in the first innings. An attacking approach which could’ve gone entirely wrong anytime out of the 16 overs he faced in the middle, Head reaped fruits for keeping at it with respect to scoring boundaries at regular intervals during a match-winning 138-ball 117-run fourth-wicket partnership alongside vice-captain Steve Smith.

Shortest Completed Test Match In History (Table Has Been Updated)

First Australia-South Africa Test match has become the 24th match in the history of cricket to finish on Day 2. Below is a list of the shortest completed Test match by number of ball bowled:

Balls	Overs	Winner	Opposition	Venue	Year
642	107	India	South Africa	Newlands	2024
656	109.2	Australia	South Africa	Melbourne Cricket Ground	1932
672	112	England	West Indies	Kensington Oval	1935
788	197×4	England	Australia	Old Trafford	1888
792	198×4	Australia	England	Lord’s	1888
796	199×4	England	South Africa	Newlands	1889
815	135.5	England	South Africa	The Oval	1912
842	140.2	India	England	Narendra Modi Stadium	2021
866	144.2	Australia	South Africa	Gabba	2022
872	145.2	Australia	New Zealand	Basin Reserve	1946

NOTE: Only Test matches with outright results have been considered in the aforementioned table.