Stats: Most runs conceded by a bowler in Test cricket (in an innings)
Chuck Fleetwood-Smith of Australia holds the record for most runs conceded by a bowler in Test Cricket. Among current cricketers, only Rangana Herath manages to be present in the top 10. We will now take a look at the other names on the top 5 list:
| Player | Runs | Opposition | Year |
| Fleetwood-Smith (AUS) | 298 | England | 1938 |
| Rajesh Chauhan (IND) | 276 | Sri Lanka | 1997 |
| Tommy Scott (WI) | 266 | England | 1930 |
| Khan Mohammed (PAK) | 259 | West Indies | 1958 |
| Fazal Mahmood (PAK) | 247 | West Indies | 1958 |
1. Chuck Fleetwood-Smith (298 runs)
Way back in 1938, for the first time, the 900 mark was breached in Test cricket. It was the fifth Ashes Test and England simply pulled off the feat in one of the most lopsided Test matches ever played. Batting first, they made 903 runs with Sir Leonard Hutton making 364. Smith conceded 298 runs bowling 87 overs, and till date, nobody has managed to leak more runs than that in a Test innings. England won the Test by an innings and 579 runs.
2. Rajesh Chauhan (276 runs)
If someone comes up with a compilation of the most boring Tests ever, then this particular match has to be right on top. The pitch had absolutely nothing in it for the bowlers, and to make matters worse, the Sri Lankan team were in no mood to declare, that they kept batting till the end of day 5. India, having posted 537 runs for the loss of 8 wickets, declared their innings at the end of day 2. And then Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama put on a world record stand which also helped the team to post a world record 952/6. They could have sportingly declared after reaching 700 to make a match out of it, but they chose not to. This was the game where India’s Rajesh Chauhan conceded 276 runs.
3. Tommy Scott (266 runs)
When the opposition makes 849, somebody has to bear the brunt of it, and in this case, Tommy Scott was the man. The Jamaican leg-spinner picked up 5 wickets, bowling 80 overs, but conceded 266 runs in the process. This Test happened in 1930, and Scott also managed to pick up four wickets in the second innings. The match ended in a draw.
4. Khan Mohammed (259 runs)
For a long long time, Sir Gary Sobers held the record for the highest Test score before Brian Lara broke it. He made 365 runs and it was during this Test where Pakistan’s Khan Mohammed leaked 259 runs. To make matters worst, he also went wicketless in the innings.
5. Fazal Mahmood (247 runs)
Same Test, same innings as the previous one. Fazal and Khan combined to give more than 500 runs. But unlike Khan, Fazal managed to pick up two wickets and those two were of Rohan Kanhai and Sir Everton weekes. The Windies humbled the Pakistanis by winning the Test by an innings and 174 runs.