Top 5 high-scoring Test match venues in the world

Over the years, it would be safe to say that Test match pitches around the world have got flatter and flatter, thereby making it easier for batsmen to pile on the runs. The pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground, for example, used to help spinners massively by taking significant turn right from the 3rd day of a Test match. It hasn’t been the case, however, in recent years and has resulted in a lot of huge totals being racked up, illustrated by the ground having a batting average of 37.23 since 1 January 2000 as opposed to a moderate 28.82 earlier.It is, possibly, because of the pressure groundsmen face from cricket administrators these days to prepare flat pitches in order to ensure that a Test match goes the full distance, which, in turn, facilitates maximum revenue collection for the authorities in charge of the stadium. Cricket is poorer as a result, in my opinion, with the balance between bat and ball heavily skewed in favour of the bat, especially over the last decade or so. Here are the top 5 high scoring Test match grounds in the world in terms of average runs per wicket. Note: Test venues where at least 15 Tests haven’t been held and where a match hasn’t been held since 2012 haven’t been included in the following list, thereby ruling out grounds like St. John’s, Antigua and Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.    

#1 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia

The Adelaide Oval in Australia, which was established in 1873 and has a capacity of approximately 31000, is not only one of the most picturesque but also one of the best batting grounds in the world. The first ever Test match at the Adelaide Oval was played between Australia and England way back in 1884, and, since then, 72 Test matches have been held at the ground. The ground has a batting average of 35.93, a figure that rises to 39.16 since the start of 2000.

Some of the memorable Test matches held at the South Australian capital recently include India’s 4-wicket victory against the hosts in 2003 and the Ashes Test, which Australia ended up winning to go 2-0 up in the series, in 2006/07. On both the occasions, the eventual victors had conceded a total above 500 in the 1st innings before coming back and registering unlikely victories towards the end of the 5th and final day.