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India.com
4 days ago
- Sport
- India.com
Top 10 Smallest Margins Of Victory In Test Cricket: When Just 1 Run Made History
photoDetails english 2941553 Discover the 10 smallest margins of victory in Test cricket history, where matches were decided by just 1 to 7 runs. From West Indies' iconic 1-run win over Australia in 1993 to India's thrilling 6-run triumph at The Oval in 2025, these games showcase cricket at its most intense. Ideal for fans searching 'narrowest Test match wins' or 'closest finishes in cricket,' this listicle delivers timeless moments, Ashes classics, and underdog victories. Packed with high-ranking keywords and trending queries, this article is a must-read for cricket lovers and SEO content creators aiming to boost organic traffic through engaging, evergreen sports content. Updated:Aug 05, 2025, 08:27 AM IST 1. West Indies' 1-Run Miracle vs Australia – Adelaide, 1993 1 / 11 In one of the most thrilling Test matches ever, West Indies clinched a 1-run win over Australia. This razor-thin victory remains the narrowest in Test history—an eternal classic in cricket folklore. (Photo Credit - Twitter) 2. New Zealand Stuns England by 1 Run – Wellington, 2023 2 / 11 New Zealand pulled off a historic 1-run win against England, becoming only the second team to achieve this feat. It was a modern-day thriller that went viral on cricket Twitter and YouTube highlights. (Photo Credit - Twitter) 3. England's Ashes Glory by 2 Runs – Birmingham, 2005 3 / 11 The 2005 Ashes series thriller at Edgbaston saw England win by just 2 runs, sparking one of the greatest Test series of all time. The drama still fuels fan nostalgia and search trends. (Photo Credit - Twitter) 4. Australia Squeezes Past England by 3 Runs – Manchester, 1902 4 / 11 A match from cricket's golden age, Australia's 3-run win in 1902 is a testament to early Test drama. Fans still revisit this classic when researching "smallest Test victories pre-WWI." (Photo Credit - Twitter) 5. England's Boxing Day Edge – 3-Run Win vs Australia, 1982 5 / 11 The 1982 MCG Test is iconic for England's last-gasp 3-run win. It was a festive firecracker that resurfaces during Christmas cricket searches and retrospectives. (Photo Credit - Twitter) 6. New Zealand Holds Nerve in 4-Run Victory – Abu Dhabi, 2018 6 / 11 Against all odds, New Zealand edged Pakistan by 4 runs, showcasing their rise in Test cricket. A popular search for fans exploring 'New Zealand's greatest Test wins'. (Photo Credit - Twitter) 7. South Africa's 5-Run Escape vs Australia – Sydney, 1994 7 / 11 In a tense low-scoring contest, South Africa defended 117 to win by 5 runs. A hidden gem among 'underrated Test classics' that's ripe for SEO traffic. (Photo Credit - Twitter) 8. Australia's 6-Run Win in 1885 – Sydney Showdown vs England 8 / 11 In only the 19th Test ever, Australia sealed a 6-run win, one of the earliest examples of close finishes. Cricket historians and searchers of 'earliest Test matches' love this one. (Photo Credit - Twitter) 9. India Joins Elite List with 6-Run Win – Oval, 2025 9 / 11 India made history by defending 374 and winning by just 6 runs against England. This match, still fresh in memory, is trending across Google and social platforms as 'India's narrowest Test win.' (Photo Credit - Twitter) 10. The Birth of Ashes Drama – Australia Wins by 7 Runs, 1882 10 / 11 This 1882 Oval Test sparked the Ashes, ending in a 7-run Aussie win. A timeless fixture for fans of 'Ashes origin story' and Test cricket drama.(Photo Credit - Twitter) 11 / 11
The Age
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
‘Special things ahead': Lions coach says Wallabies will be a force at 2027 World Cup
'I said to Joe (Schmidt) before the game there on the pitch that I think special things are going to happen for this team over the next 18 months, and by the time the World Cup comes around they'll be a force to be reckoned with, like everyone's seen in the past. 'They've got some special athletes and some special players and that's no surprise to us of how they've performed over the last couple of weeks.' When informed of Farrell's comments, Schmidt joked he agrees 'with everything Faz tells me'. 'Faz and I would be good friends, go back a long way, have worked together a lot and we would also be quite like minded around probably studying other teams,' Schmidt said. 'I'd like to think that he's right.' The Wallabies' victory in Sydney opened the door for the series win by the Lions to carry an asterisk - given the contentious nature of the end of the second Test at the MCG, where the Wallabies argued Jac Morgan's cleanout on Carlo Tizzano, prior to Hugo Keenan's matchwinning try, was illegal. But Schmidt didn't want to go down that road after the game on Saturday night, which had crept into early Sunday morning by the time the teams finished their media duties. 'We can't get those points back,' Schmidt said. 'We can only try to win the points that are ahead of us. I think I've said before I'm very boring and pragmatic and all we can do is try to affect what happens to us in the future and try to control as much of that as possible by trying to grow. 'The one thing I would say is I felt we grew through the series. We lost the first half of the series poorly, we won the second half, we played well in the first half of the second test, didn't succeed eventually in that test but I felt we deserved to win both halves today. 'We fought our way through very difficult conditions and got destabilised a couple of times but fought our way through that as well.' Schmidt and Wallabies captain Harry Wilson both revealed the power of Alaalatoa's address to the team on Friday, after the side had struggled to bounce back from the disappointment of losing a thriller in Melbourne. Schmidt said Alaalatoa had badly injured his shoulder in the 14th minute of the MCG Test but played out the first half in pain and 'with one wing'. 'It was a little bit of the inspiration the players needed yesterday,' Schmidt said. 'We were flat early in the week and we got a little bit of an upswing, but I really think Alan helped.' Wilson said Alaalatoa had spoken to the team about having to be prepared to suffer to win. 'The thing with Allan, what he says he delivers - and he's spoken to us quite a bit about willing to put your body on the line for the team, whatever it takes to win,' Wilson said. 'In that game in Melbourne he tore his shoulder pretty early and he put his body on the line for the next 25 minutes. 'When he came in and spoke to us the day before a game about what we need to be willing to do for each other to win a game, it really did hit home.' The Wallabies now turn their attention to two games in South Africa for the Rugby Championship, and Schmidt said he will name a squad on Wednesday. He confirmed Jake Gordon was in doubt after injuring a hamstring at training, which could see Nic White push out his international retirement for a few more weeks. White was outstanding against the Lions and received a standing ovation when he came off, but Schmidt joked: 'Whitey will rival me maybe in terms of being kind of like Johnny Farnham, one more tour.'
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Special things ahead': Lions coach says Wallabies will be a force at 2027 World Cup
'I said to Joe (Schmidt) before the game there on the pitch that I think special things are going to happen for this team over the next 18 months, and by the time the World Cup comes around they'll be a force to be reckoned with, like everyone's seen in the past. 'They've got some special athletes and some special players and that's no surprise to us of how they've performed over the last couple of weeks.' When informed of Farrell's comments, Schmidt joked he agrees 'with everything Faz tells me'. 'Faz and I would be good friends, go back a long way, have worked together a lot and we would also be quite like minded around probably studying other teams,' Schmidt said. 'I'd like to think that he's right.' The Wallabies' victory in Sydney opened the door for the series win by the Lions to carry an asterisk - given the contentious nature of the end of the second Test at the MCG, where the Wallabies argued Jac Morgan's cleanout on Carlo Tizzano, prior to Hugo Keenan's matchwinning try, was illegal. But Schmidt didn't want to go down that road after the game on Saturday night, which had crept into early Sunday morning by the time the teams finished their media duties. 'We can't get those points back,' Schmidt said. 'We can only try to win the points that are ahead of us. I think I've said before I'm very boring and pragmatic and all we can do is try to affect what happens to us in the future and try to control as much of that as possible by trying to grow. 'The one thing I would say is I felt we grew through the series. We lost the first half of the series poorly, we won the second half, we played well in the first half of the second test, didn't succeed eventually in that test but I felt we deserved to win both halves today. 'We fought our way through very difficult conditions and got destabilised a couple of times but fought our way through that as well.' Schmidt and Wallabies captain Harry Wilson both revealed the power of Alaalatoa's address to the team on Friday, after the side had struggled to bounce back from the disappointment of losing a thriller in Melbourne. Schmidt said Alaalatoa had badly injured his shoulder in the 14th minute of the MCG Test but played out the first half in pain and 'with one wing'. 'It was a little bit of the inspiration the players needed yesterday,' Schmidt said. 'We were flat early in the week and we got a little bit of an upswing, but I really think Alan helped.' Wilson said Alaalatoa had spoken to the team about having to be prepared to suffer to win. 'The thing with Allan, what he says he delivers - and he's spoken to us quite a bit about willing to put your body on the line for the team, whatever it takes to win,' Wilson said. 'In that game in Melbourne he tore his shoulder pretty early and he put his body on the line for the next 25 minutes. 'When he came in and spoke to us the day before a game about what we need to be willing to do for each other to win a game, it really did hit home.' The Wallabies now turn their attention to two games in South Africa for the Rugby Championship, and Schmidt said he will name a squad on Wednesday. He confirmed Jake Gordon was in doubt after injuring a hamstring at training, which could see Nic White push out his international retirement for a few more weeks. White was outstanding against the Lions and received a standing ovation when he came off, but Schmidt joked: 'Whitey will rival me maybe in terms of being kind of like Johnny Farnham, one more tour.'
RTÉ News
25-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Lions call on former captain Martin Johnson for second Test inspiration
If anyone can give this British and Irish Lions squad a sense of what to expect on Saturday, it's Martin Johnson. The former England head coach and captain was skipper when the Lions came to Melbourne in 2001 off the back of an impressive first Test win, only for the Wallabies to emphatically level the series. Four years earlier, Johnson was also captain of the great 1997 side, who clinched the series with a game to spare against the Springboks at Kings Park in Durban. And as the Lions look to make their own piece of history at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tomorrow, it was appropriate for the former captain to come in and pass on some words of wisdom. Johnson presented the squad with their jerseys ahead of Saturday's MCG Test, and spoke to the squad about what to expect, as someone who has been through both the highs and lows of Lions' tours. "The room was completely quiet for the whole time he was there and spoke. There were guys just staring up at him," scrum coach John Fogarty (below) said of Johnson's presentation. "He talked a bit about the Lions series they won [1997] and the Lions series they lost [2001] and the difference in either. "He spoke about how in the biggest games the fundamentals are incredibly important. There's going to be errors but not compounding errors on errors is a huge part of winning big games. It was really cool. "Maro [Itoje] asked him a question or two and then he handed out the jerseys. It has been such a privilege this whole journey to have someone like him come in and talk to the lads was another privilege. It's cool. Some of the current squad Henry Pollock, Fin Smith and Jamie Osborne weren't even born when Johnson captained the Lions on that 2001 tour, while many others were yet to even be walking or talking 24 years ago. However, Fogarty said the significance of having Johnson in camp wasn't lost on the younger crop. "They knew who he was for sure. "There was a bit of contemplation and reflection after he talked, which is a good thing. It is what you want. You don't just want to turn around and get your dinner. "There was a bit of thinking and there were conversations, but it was a quiet room because they wanted to listen to a guy they see as an icon. It was pretty cool. "He said it is the smallest of margins in the biggest of games [that matter]. "The error bit, what he is talking about there is being able to get back to neutral and talking about being in the moment. All that stuff is difficult when you're playing in front of 95,000 people in a stadium as iconic as this." While Johnson's game for the Lions in Melbourne in 2001, and the 2013 Melbourne Test, were both across town at the Docklands – now Marvel – Stadium, tomorrow's game will be played in a much grander setting, where an estimated 90,000 supporters will be packed into the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground. The MCG was looking spectacular on Friday afternoon as Fogarty spoke to the media pitchside, less than 24 hours after an AFL game on the same pitch between Hawthorn and Carlton. And the Lions assistant was blown away by the size and history of the venue. "What a stage, what a game it's going to be. "I have never watched cricket, never seen the game, we didn't play it when we were kids so I hadn't got a clue [about the MCG]. "Andy [Farrell] has been telling us: 'Wait until you see this'. When he got back from doing a recce he was 'Oh my God, this stadium, that stadium' but nothing landed until we walked out. "My brother Denis is over and he came to the game last night and was telling me it was going to be some stadium to play in, it is an amazing place. "I remember the first time I walked out to Croke Park when I was a kid and I was 'Oh God, look at this' so when we walked out you could see a lot of us looking around and going 'Jesus, this is bigger than anything we have been in before'. "Certainly for me it is bigger than anything I have been in before, it is an unbelievable privilege to be here, I know have said it a couple of times but I mean it. I feel unbelievably lucky, and the players are the same, to be able to do this stuff. It is not normal." There may be temptation to approach the game from a cold perspective, but Fogarty wants the players to embrace the occasion of playing a Lions Test in one of the world's most famous sporting venues. "You've got to lean in a little bit, don't you? "The boys are going to be building to 8pm, so we need to simmer away tomorrow so that we're at the right level when we arrive here and then we can hit the ground running and do things properly. "We're expecting an absolute battle, a war. But when you come here it makes it a bit more special because you understand what it's going to be like a little bit. "All the little things will matter tomorrow." Meanwhile, the Lions have confirmed that Ewan Ashman, Gregor Brown, Rory Sutherland and Darcy Graham have returned home after they were drafted in on a temporary basis to help with Tuesday's fixture against the First Nations and Pasifika XV. Irish pair Thomas Clarkson and Jamie Osborne remain with the squad.
Hindustan Times
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Shubman Gill minces no words after India fail to defend 371 vs England in his 1st Test as captain: 'Never a good sign…'
When you're defending 350 runs on the final day of a Test match, nine out of 10 times, the match ends up in the bowling team's favour – unless the opposition completely shuts shop and plays for the draw. But this England team is different. They believe in Bazballing their way out of trouble. Blame Ben Stokes as much as you want for his decision to bat first, but in the end, the England captain knew what his team was capable of batting last. For the second time in three years, England have chased down a total in excess of 370 against India, souring Shubman Gill's first Test as India captain. Shubman Gill lost his first Test as captain(AFP) India has only itself to blame. Lost a Test despite five individual centuries and letting the game slip away because of two lower-order collapses. Besides, who can forget the multiple dropped catches that hurt them dearly? Contrastingly, England were just the opposite, with their tail scoring vital runs and sneaking through the door whenever the opportunity arrived. After the match, captain Gill acknowledged the fighting spirit of his team, but agreed it didn't mask the lingering issues. "A brilliant Test, we had our chances. Drop catches, lower not contributing cost us. Yesterday, we were thinking of giving them 430, but our last wickets fell for 25. Even today, I thought we had our chances after the brilliant first wicket. Didn't go to hand. We spoke about the first-inns collapse, happens, we have to rectify that going forward. Chances don't come easy on wickets like this, but we have a young team. Learning one. Hope to improve that. The first session, we bowled spot-on. Didn't give away runs, but it's hard to stop runs once it gets old. Have to keep taking wickets when the ball got soft," Gill told Michael Atherton at the post-match presentation ceremony. If only… India dropped over six dropped catches, with Yashasvi Jaiswal emerging as the biggest culprit, putting down 4 chances – 3 in the first innings and 1 in the second. Couple that with the three dropped catches he suffered in Australia during the MCG Test, and it makes for a concerning picture. Besides, India lost its last 7 wickets for 41 in the first dig and 6/21 in the second, which robbed them of at least 100 runs in both innings. Had they held onto its catches and avoided the catastrophic lower-order collapse, who knows what the result would have been?
