A Test match is the most defensive form of cricket, where surviving on the crease matters more than the strike rate. Mastery over the game eventually brings runs, finding plenty of scoring opportunities during 90 overs to play in a day. However, the uncontrollable fall in the batting order brings the conclusion early without reaching to the fifth day.
With the sheer dominance of the bowling unit, Test cricket history has seen the abrupt fall of wickets on various occasions, leading to a competitive team getting bowled out in a two-digit score. Shockingly, the top 10 lowest scores in Test cricket history are below 50. It dates back to 25 March 1955, when New Zealand were taken aback at home in Auckland, getting bowled out by England for 26 in 27 overs in the third innings of the Test match. In that match, the Kiwis had a forgettable outing as, even after 70 years, no other Test team shattered this embarrassing record.
In this coverage, you can explore the top 10 lowest scores in Test Cricket history, with details of the match.
Top 10 Lowest Scores in Test Cricket History
| Team | All Out Score | Overs | Run Rate | Inns | Opponent | Venue | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 26 | 27.0 | 0.96 | 3 | England | Auckland | Lost | 25 Mar 1955 |
| West Indies | 27 | 14.3 | 1.86 | 4 | Australia | Kingston | Lost | 12 Jul 2025 |
| South Africa | 30 | 18.4 | 1.91 | 4 | England | Gqeberha | Lost | 13 Feb 1896 |
| South Africa | 30 | 12.3 | 2.40 | 2 | England | Birmingham | Lost | 14 Jun 1924 |
| South Africa | 35 | 22.4 | 1.84 | 4 | England | Cape Town | Lost | 1 Apr 1899 |
| South Africa | 36 | 23.2 | 1.54 | 1 | Australia | Melbourne | Lost | 12 Feb 1932 |
| Australia | 36 | 23.0 | 1.56 | 2 | England | Birmingham | Draw | 29 May 1902 |
| India | 36 | 21.2 | 1.68 | 3 | Australia | Adelaide | Lost | 17 Dec 2020 |
| Ireland | 38 | 15.4 | 2.42 | 4 | England | Lord’s | Lost | 24 Jul 2019 |
| New Zealand | 42 | 39.0 | 1.07 | 1 | Australia | Wellington | Lost | 29 Mar 1946 |
The International Cricket Council (ICC) backs those national cricket teams for Test cricket who meet multiple items on the checklist. Competitiveness is one of the factors to consider, highlighting steady performance in Twenty20 Internationals and One Day Internationals (ODIs). Despite being one of the top teams, the blows in Test cricket are not new. In 1896, South Africa reached to just 30 runs against England at Gqeberha in the fourth innings, losing the match drastically. Almost 59 years later, New Zealand settled for just 26 runs against England in Auckland – a Test match in the history of cricket with the lowest score in the longest form of cricket.
After 1955, almost 7 decades have gone by, but there is no other team with a total lower than 26 in Test cricket. On July 14, 2025, the West Indies saved themselves from becoming a fresh team with the lowest score in Test cricket. In the third Test match of a three-match Test series between West Indies and Australia, the bowling unit crashed into the batting order, witnessing seven ducks, and the entire team settled in for just 27 runs in the second innings for West Indies. It was their lowest Test score ever and the second lowest total in Test cricket history. Alzarri Joseph stole 1 run while facing pace sensation Mitchell Starc due to a misfield, leading to the Caribbean avoiding registering the joint lowest total in Test history.
Although India became the number one Test team under the leadership of former Test cricketer Virat Kohli, India faced a downfall at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide in 2020 during India’s tour of Australia. It was a most recent Test match with a low score before West Indies struggled in 2025. The collapse in the batting order was grave as no single Indian player reached to two-digit score under former skipper Virat Kohli, who was caught at the score of 4 runs on Pat Cummins’s delivery. It was during India’s second innings, the entire team was bowled out for just 36 runs in 21.2 overs within a few hours of the innings. India lost the first Test match by 8 wickets.
Similarly, other Test-playing nations like Australia and Ireland have also seen their worst times in red-ball cricket. In this list, New Zealand made an entry twice, ranking first and tenth. South Africa has most setbacks with four different poor Test totals, getting registered among the top 10 lowest scores in Test cricket history.
Test cricket is a real test for cricketers where cricketing skills intersect with competitiveness to leave a mark while representing a Test-playing nation.
