Test cricket's 5 greatest final innings chase

New Delhi: Despite test between South Africa and India on Sunday ending in a draw but it will be remembered as one of the game's best ever. Chasing a huge target of 458 to win, South Africa came within eight runs of the highest successful fourth-innings run chase ever in over 140 years of test cricket dating back to the 19th century before holding on grimly under late Indian pressure. No one expected South Africa to get vaguely close, but its 450-7 was the third-highest fourth-innings total anywhere in the history of the game and only just short of shattering the record for the best chase. Here are five other great test finishes:England Vs South Africa, Durban, 1936 England's draw with South Africa in Durban in 1939 has mythical status in the game after the touring English team on 654-5 and still needed 42 for a win. England had to catch a train across country back to Cape Town to make the ship home. The game was in its 10th day in an era when there was no time limit and both teams agreed to call it a draw so the English wouldn't miss their ship. Paul Gibb and the great Wally Hammond made centuries and Bill Edrich a double-ton in England's huge ongoing fourth-innings total, which is the highest ever in the last innings of a test and will likely never be beaten. West Indies Vs Australia, 2003 The West Indians' performance in 2003, still stands as the best successful chase. Fine centuries from Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul helped West Indies claim a momentous win over Steve Waugh's Australia, then the best team in the world. The West Indies still had three wickets in hand. Australia VsEngland, 1948 Cricket's greatest ever batsman produced one of his many brilliant innings to lead Australia to Ashes series victory over England in 1948. Don Bradman made 173 not out at Leeds and ensured Australia overhauled the victory target of 404 with some ease to clinch the famous Urn, the game's most important test trophy. India Vs England, 1979 India nearly pulled off an astonishing win over England in London in 1979 after being asked to chase 438 to win the match and save the series. Sunil Gavaskar hit 221 after opening the batting in the last-innings effort and helped India to within nine runs of victory. A target of 15 from the last over -- the 151st of India's chase -- was only just too much as an immense five-day test came down to only a handful of runs. South Africa Vs Australia, 2012 Faf du Plessis has played his part in an epic fourth-innings fight for South Africa before Sunday. A year ago, he batted for nearly eight hours for a century on his test debut to save South Africa from certain defeat in the second test against Australia in Adelaide. South Africa only made 248-8 and was never in contention to win the match chasing 430, but Du Plessis' marathon innings of stubborn defense and incredible concentration and stamina kept the series level and South Africa went on to win in Perth to take the three-match contest.

Test cricket's 5 greatest final innings chase

New Delhi: Despite test between South Africa and India on Sunday ending in a draw but it will be remembered as one of the game's best ever. Chasing a huge target of 458 to win,

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