Top 5 highest first innings totals to result in losses

Cricket is a funny game. Maybe that is why there is a belief that in Test cricket, it is always good to have a great first innings total on board. Teams that score 400 or above in their first innings rarely go on to lose Tests. Most captains in world cricket are bat first captains who like to put a score on the board, and more often than not, end up looking for a reason so that they can bat first.

A huge total on the board puts pressure on the opposition and makes bowling easier as bowlers can concentrate on taking wickets rather than containing the run flow. Even teams with relatively weaker bowling attacks get away by putting up huge totals on the board, courtesy their batsmen.

However, there are games where the opposition has come from behind to win the Test despite facing against a massive total on board. To be precise, there have been 15 instances when a team has scored 500+ in their first innings and still lost the Test match.

Have a glance at 5 highest first innings totals that resulted in losses.

#5 Bangladesh, against West Indies – Dhaka - November, 2012

The first Test of the West Indies tour of Bangladesh saw the Windies win the toss and opt to bat first. A double hundred by Shivnarine Chanderpaul and centuries from opener Kieron Powell and keeper Denesh Ramdin took them to 527.

Bangladesh bettered the effort in their first innings by posting 556, a lead of 29. Naeem Islam was the only centurion but Nasir Hossain, Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Shakib hit half-centuries.

Despite conceding the lead, West Indies batted confidently and scored 273, courtesy another century in the match by Kieron Powell. This set a target of 245 for the Bangladeshis on a tricky Dhaka wicket. None of their batsmen crossed 30 as Tino Best and Veerasamy Permaul wreaked havoc, bowling out the hosts for 167 to win the match by 77 runs.