5 biggest victory margins by runs in Tests

#4 South Africa beat Australia by 492 runs Johannesburg (2018)

Now, this is a Test match that must be still fresh in the memories of most cricket fans and Australia’s capitulation in a Test match that they needed to win for squaring the series, makes it even more incredible. Needless to say, they were missing two of their best batsmen in Steve Smith and David Warner, for reasons that everyone now knows. They were perhaps not in the right place mentally either and it showed as they crashed to their 2nd heaviest defeat (by runs) in history.

In response to South Africa’s 488 in the 1st innings, Australia could only make 221 and that too after the lower order showed some fight. The hosts then batten for 105 overs and declared for 344/6 to set Australia an improbable target of 612 runs. However, there was time to save the Test but Australia simply caved under South Africa’s relentless pressure. The destroyer was Vernon Philander, who took 6 for 21 in 13 overs to see to it that Australia collapsed 88 for 3 to 119 all out. They lost the game by 492 runs.