In the history of Test cricket, which dates back to March, 1877, just four matches have finished with the scores level. Before examing the gory details, it is worth making the distinction between a ‘draw’ and a ‘tie’ as far as Test cricket is concerned. To win a Test match, the side fielding second must bowl out the opposition – that is, take all ten wickets – in the fourth innings. Otherwise, the result is a draw, unless the scores are equal on completion of the fourth innings, in which case the result is a tie.
The first two Test matches to finish with the scores level were both tied and, interestingly, both involved Australia, albeit 26 years apart and on two different continents. In the first Test of the West Indies tour of Australia at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as the Gabba, the visitors batted first and set the hosts a target of 233 runs in the fourth innings. On a deteriorating pitch, the ‘Baggy Greens’ were reduced to 92-6 at tea on the fifth and final day, but recovered to 226-7 before losing their last three wickets for just six runs to create history.
Fast forward to September, 1986, again in the first Test of the Australia tour of India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the visitors set a healthy target of 348 runs, having declared their second innings at 170-5 at the end of day four. The ‘Men in Blue’ started their run chase promisingly, with opening batsmen Sunil Gavaskar, who was playing his hundredth Test match, top-scoring with 90 as they reached 331-7. However, the tail did not exactly wag and, when tailender Maninder Singh was trapped lbw for a duck by Greg Matthews, they were still one short of a winning total.
For the record, the other two Test matches to finish with the scores level were both drawn. In December, 1996, in the first Test of the England tour of Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, the scores were 376 & 234 and 406 & 204-6, in pursuit of 205. In November, 2011, in the third Test of the West Indies tour of India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the scores were 590 & 134 and 482 & 242-9.