South Africa Vs India, 2nd Test: 642 Balls, Four Innings, 33 Wickets - Numbers Behind Shortest Completed Match

India vs South Africa - Indian cricket team roared themselves back with a defining win at Cape Town. Here are the numbers and the list of matches that were the termed shortest in Test cricket's history

Outlook Sports Desk

Updated on: 4 January 2024 6:40 pm

Both set of players pose with the series trophy

After being bowled out inside three days in the Centurion Test, India came into the Cape Town Test knowing their poor record at the venue. After a loss by an innings and 32 runs in the 1st Test, Rohit Sharma's men knew the odds were stacked against them. However, the WTC Championship runners-up dished out a sweet revenge - to bowl out the home team in mere 107 overs. In less than five sessions, India won the Test match by seven wickets and drew the series 1-1, their first in South Africa for over 13 years.(Match Report |?As It Happened?|?Scorecard?|?Full Coverage)

The Cape Town Test is also the shortest Test match ever (in terms of number of balls bowled) in 147 years of the format's history which delivered such a crazy result.

Before this, the shortest Test match ever played was between Australia and South Africa in the 1932 Melbourne Test. That match saw only 109.2 overs (656 deliveries) with Aussies winning the match. The Cape Town Test between India and South Africa saw 642 deliveries.

Talking about the day of the Test match, Aiden Markram starrted with the bat as he scored a defiant century (106) to keep the hosts in the game but a vintage Jasprit Bumrah bamboozled the home side to give India a series-levelling win on day of the second Test on Thursday. Markram smashed 106 off 103 balls but he ran out of partners at the other end as the home side could muster a lead of 79 on a juicy track. India reached the target with seven wickets to spare.

ALSO READ:?Aiden Markram Breaks Proteas' Century-Old Record During Classic Against India

Here's the complete list of Tests that ended within two days previously.

England vs Australia, Oval, 1882
It was the ninth Test match in history. Australia were bundled out for 63 but managed to limit England to 101 in their first innings with Fred 'Demon' Spofforth taking seven wickets. The Aussies could only muster 122 with Hugh Massie scoring a 55. England were again humbled by 'Demon' despite WG Grace's 32. Spofforth took seven for 44 as Englishmen were ousted for 77 and conceded a seven-run defeat.

England vs Australia, Lord's, 1888
Australia made 116 and 60 in two innings and then shot out England for 53 and 62 at the 'Home of Cricket' to achieve a 61-run victory.

England vs Australia, Oval, 1888
This time, England managed to turn the tables on Australia with an innings and 137-run win inside two days. Australia were bowled out for 80 and 100 while the hosts piled 317 in their lone innings.

England vs Australia, Manchester, 1888
Batting first, England made 172 with WG Grace top-scoring with a 38 and Australia failed to touch 100 in both their innings, getting dismissed for 81 and 70 to fall to an innings and 21-run defeat.

South Africa vs England, Port Elizabeth, 1889
Cricket finally reached a new shore apart from England and Australia. At Port Elizabeth, SA made 84 and 129 and England replied with 148 and 67 for 2 for an eight-wicket victory.

South Africa vs England, Cape Town, 1889
The second match of the series too ended inside two days. England batted first and only once making 292 with Bobby Abel striking a 120. Johnny Briggs shattered Proteas with figures of 7 for 17 and 8 for 11 as the hosts were fired out for 47 and 43 in England's innings and 202-run win.

England vs Australia, Oval, 1890
Aussies made 92 and 102 and England made 100 and 95 for eight to scrape home by two wickets in two days.

South Africa vs England, Port Elizabeth, 1896
England made 185 and 226 and then skittled out SA for 93 and 30 as fast bowler George Lohmann had astonishing figures of eight for seven off 9.4 overs. England won by 288 runs.

South Africa vs England, Cape Town, 1896
Arthur Hill made 124 as England replied to SA's first innings total of 115 with 265. The tourists then curtailed SA's second innings for 117 to celebrate an innings and 33-run victory.

Australia vs South Africa, Manchester, 1912
Australia made 448 in their lone innings during a match in the triangular Test series, also involving England. The Aussies then bundled out SA for 265 and 95 to win the match by and innings and 88 runs.

England vs South Africa, Oval, 1912
In the next match of the triangular series, SA were ousted for 95 in their first innings with Sidney Barnes and Frank Wooley taking five wickets apiece. Legendary Jack Hobbs made 68 in England's 176. Barnes took 8 for 29 as SA were dismissed for 93 and England made 14 for no loss to win the match by 10 wickets.

England vs Australia, Nottingham, 1921
England were shot out for 112 and 147 while the Australians made 232 and 30 for no loss to register a 10-wicket win.

Australia vs West Indies, Melbourne, 1931
Sir Don Bradman made 152 as the Aussies replied to West Indies' first innings 99 with 328 for 8 declared. West Indies were dismissed for 107 in their second essay as the home side won by an innings and 122 runs.

South Africa vs Australia, Johannesburg, 1936
SA were all out for 157 and the Aussies made 439 in their first innings with Jack Fingleton, who later became a well-known writer, making 108. SA were bundled out for 98 as leg-spinner Clarrie Grimmett took 7 for 40. The visitors won by an innings and 184 runs.

New Zealand vs Australia, Wellington, 1946
The Kiwis were shot out for 42 and 54 and the Aussies made 199 for 8 declared to record an innings and 103-run win.

England vs West Indies, Leeds, 2000
England replied to West Indies' first innings 172 with 272 of their own. They then bundled out the Caribbeans for 61 as Andy Caddick and Darren Gough took nine wickets between them. England won by an innings and 39 runs.

Australia vs Pakistan, Sharjah, 2002
Legendary Shane Warne took eight wickets in both the innings as Pakistan were all out for 59 and 53. Australia won by an innings and 198 runs as they made 319 in their lone innings with Matthew Hayden making 119.

South Africa vs Zimbabwe, Cape Town, 2005
SA bowled out their neighbours for 54 and 265 while making 340 for three declared for an innings and 21-run victory.

Zimbabwe vs New Zealand, Harare, 2005
Hundreds by Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori spurred the Kiwis to 452 for 9 declared and then they bowled out the African side for 59 and 99 for an innings and 294-run victory.

South Africa vs Zimbabwe, Port Elizabeth 2017
Batting first, SA made 309 for 9 declared. They then skittled Zimbabwe for 68 and 121, enough for an innings and 120-run win.

India vs Afghanistan, Bengaluru, 2018
India, under Ajinkya Rahane, made 474 with openers M Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan striking centuries. Afghanistan made 109 and 103 to slide to an innings and 262-run defeat.

India vs England, Ahmedabad, 2021
England made 112 and 81 and India replied with 145 and 49 for no loss on a track that turned square from first ball to register a 10-wicket win.

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi, 2021
Zimbabwe bowled out the Afghans for 131 and 135 before making 250 and 17 for no loss of their own for a 10-wicket victory.

Australia vs South Africa, Brisbane, 2022
South Africa were humbled for 152 and 99 in two innings at the Gabba. The Aussies made 218 and 35 for 4 for a six-wicket win.
(With PTI input)