SA vs AUS: Can <a href="https://absafricatv.com/south-africa-appoints-team-to-address-nhls-crisis/” title=”South Africa appoints team to address NHLS crisis”>South Africa break West Indies’ record of 418 with highest successful run chase in Tests? | Mint
SA vs AUS: Can South Africa break West Indies’ record of 418 with highest successful run chase in Tests?
South Africa will look to chase down a target of 421 in the first Test against Australia in Durban on Tuesday. The Proteas were 102/4 at stumps on Day four on Monday.
South Africa face a daunting fourth-innings challenge against Australia in the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban, with the Proteas needing 319 more runs on the final day to win a match that the visitors have dominated. With Australia setting a target of 421, the contest also brings the highest successful run chase in Test cricket into focus.
The record belongs to theWest Indies, who chased down 418 against Australia at the Antigua Recreation Ground in St John’s in May 2003. The hosts reached 418/7 to secure a three-wicket victory, completing the biggest successful fourth-innings chase in the history of the format.
South Africa must overcome Australia’s attack and the pressure of chasing a substantial total in the final innings of the first Test.
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At stumps on Day 4, South Africa were 102/4 in their second innings, with Aiden Markram unbeaten on 45 and Wiaan Mulder on five. David Bedingham had made 46 before falling to Josh Hazlewood, while Ryan Rickelton, captain Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs were also dismissed.
Australia earlier declared their second innings at 314/6, having built on a first-innings total of 390. South Africa had responded with 284 in their first innings, leaving Australia with a lead substantial enough to set the hosts a target of 421.
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Matt Renshaw was central to Australia’s position, following his first-innings 190 with 82 in the second innings. Captain Pat Cummins also provided a late contribution, scoring 32 off 12 deliveries as Australia accelerated towards a declaration.
West Indies’ historic chase against Australia
The 2003 Antigua Test remains the benchmark for fourth-innings run chases. Australia and the West Indies had both scored 240 in their first innings before the visitors posted 417 in their second, powered by Matthew Hayden’s 177 and Justin Langer’s 111.
Chasing 418, the West Indies received important contributions from captain Brian Lara, who scored 60, before Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul registered centuries.
Sarwan made 105, while Chanderpaul scored 104. Their batting kept the hosts in contention before lower-order contributions from Omari Banks and Vasbert Drakes helped complete the chase. Banks remained unbeaten on 47 as the West Indies reached the target with three wickets remaining.
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The result remains the highest successful run chase in men’s Test cricket, ahead of South Africa’s own 414/4 against Australia in Perth in December 2008. That victory, achieved with six wickets remaining, is the second-highest successful chase in Test history.
South Africa, therefore, has a place in the record books already, but their 2026 task is different: they need to recover from four lost wickets and produce a sustained batting effort against an Australian attack that has put them under pressure throughout the final innings.
Markram and Mulder will resume the chase on the final day, with South Africa requiring 319 runs and Australia needing six wickets to secure victory.
About the Author
PN Vishnu is a contributor with the LiveMint Sports team, where he primarily covers cricket, football and other major sporting events. A passionate sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience in digital media, Vishnu has been an ardent follower of sports for more than 10 years. While he enjoys covering a wide range of disciplines, his biggest sporting passions remain cricket and football. He is also a devoted supporter of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League and Manchester United in English football. <br><br> Vishnu pursued a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, in 2016 and graduated in 2017. Since then, he has built an extensive career in sports journalism, working with leading media organisations including Deccan Chronicle and Firstpost. In 2025, he worked for CricXtasy for six months before joining LiveMint in February 2026. <br><br> Over the years, he has reported extensively on marquee sporting events such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Indian Super League (ISL). His reporting has also provided opportunities to interact with some of the game’s leading personalities, including India cricketers Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhruv Jurel. <br><br> Away from the newsroom, Vishnu enjoys unwinding with books, discovering new music and binge-watching television series.
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