Wanderers Stadium Test records: The Wanderers Johannesburg Test records and highest innings totals

International cricket will return to Johannesburg after almost a year with the second Test match of the ongoing West Indies’ tour of South Africa scheduled to begin in the city tomorrow onward. As far as this particular format is concerned, The Wanderers Stadium will be hosting a match 14 months after South Africa vs India New Year’s Test last year.

1-0 up in a two-match series, South Africa will be participating in a Test match at this venue for the 44th time. Having played each of the 43 Tests here in the past, the home team has won 19 and lost 13 matches over the years.

West Indies, on the contrary, had ended up on the losing side in both their Tests at this stadium in the past. The last when they had played a Test match here was almost a couple of decades ago.

The Wanderers Stadium Test records

Highest run-scorers in Johannesburg Tests are all former South African cricketers namely Jacques Kallis (1,148), Hashim Amla (1,144), Graeme Smith (910), AB de Villiers (775) and Hansie Cronje (683).

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Talking particularly about active cricketers, Dean Elgar (647), Aiden Markram (385), Virat Kohli (310), Temba Bavuma (310) and Cheteshwar Pujara (285) are the best Test batters here. Barring Bavuma, all the remaining four batters have scored a Test century each at this venue.

Much like the batters, highest wicket-takers in Tests played at The Wanderers Stadium are also retired South African cricketers in Makhaya Ntini (53), Shaun Pollock (53), Dale Steyn (50), Allan Donald (44) and Vernon Philander (41).

Kagiso Rabada (30), Duanne Olivier (17), Pat Cummins (16), Anrich Nortje (15) and Mohammed Shami (14) have been the best bowlers among active cricketers at this stadium. While Cummins and Nortje have picked a couple of five-wicket hauls, the remaining three have one each to their name.

Highest innings totals in Johannesburg Tests

Score	Overs	Team	Opposition	Year
652/7d	146	Australia	South Africa	2002
628/8d	193.4	Australia	South Africa	1997
620	177.3	South Africa	Australia	1966
561	148.4	South Africa	West Indies	2003
531	166.3	England	South Africa	1964

It is noteworthy that the above mentioned totals are the only five innings totals in excess of 500 runs in Johannesburg Tests. The bowling nature of this surface can be further assessed by the fact that only eight successful Test run-chases have been registered here in the past.

Australia hold the record for the highest Test run-chase at The Wanderers Stadium for sealing a 310-run chase with only a couple of wickets in hand over 11 years ago.