5 biggest upsets in Test cricket since 2000
Test cricket is considered the purest form of the sport. Quite a few cricket experts believe that the longest format is the ultimate test for any player. Not only do Tests require a player to be skilled, but he also needs to maintain his fitness and have patience to succeed.
Test matches last for five days, and each team gets an opportunity to bat twice. Unlike other formats of cricket, a draw is a frequent result in Test cricket. If there is no clear winner after five days of action, the game ends in a draw.
Generally, upsets are not so regular in Test cricket because the game lasts for five days and two innings. So the frequency of top-quality teams losing to lower-ranked opposition is comparatively less than T20Is and even ODIs.
But the cricket world has witnessed some big upsets in the red-ball arena as well. Here's a list of the top five upsets in Test cricket since 2000.
#1 Bangladesh defeat New Zealand, 2022
Bangladesh struggled in the inaugural edition of the ICC World Test Championship. They kicked off the new WTC cycle with a 0-2 defeat against Pakistan. Soon after, the Tigers toured New Zealand for a Test series without the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman in the squad.
But a young Bangladeshi team punched above their weight and upset the reigning World Test champions on their home turf. The Blackcaps scored 328 runs in the first innings, riding on Devon Conway's ton. In reply, Bangladesh were all out for 458, taking a 130-run first innings lead.
Ebadot Hossain then bowled a fiery spell of 6/46 in the second innings as Bangladesh bowled New Zealand out for 169 runs. They chased the 40-run target with eight wickets in hand to complete a historic win.
#2 India defeat Australia, 2021
India defeating Australia Down Under is not new, but they breached the Aussies' fortress in Brisbane last year without a majority of their regular Test players. India were hit by injuries ahead of the series decider of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, while Australia had a full-strength squad.
An inexperienced Indian playing XI, featuring two debutants, locked horns with Australia. The home side won the toss and posted a 369-run total. In reply, India scored 336 and conceded a 33-run first-innings lead.
Australia set a massive 328-run target for the visitors. No team had been able to chase such a huge target in Brisbane before, but a depleted Indian squad did the unthinkable and chased the target with three wickets in hand. Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant were heroes for India in that innings as they completed a historic series win.