5 Records that will probably soon be broken

#1. Highest Successful Run Chase in Tests (Currently held by the West Indies, with 7/418)

Ramnaresh Sarwan's century was crucial in the West Indies record chase

It is fact worth establishing that the West Indies epic chase in Antigua is worthy of great praise. Centuries to Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul ensured the West Indies reached the unlikely target against an Australian bowling line-up that included Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee and Stuart MacGill.

However, even though it is a fairly recent record, having been set in 2003, it is somewhat surprising it is yet to be bettered.

Firstly, the chase is one of three successful run chases where the victorious team needed over 400 to win and lost more than five wickets in the process. In the other two of these successful chases, the batting side only lost three or four wickets, suggesting that on each occasion they could have made far larger scores.

There have also been several occasions when the West Indies record was nearly beaten. The most recent example is when Pakistan were all out for 450, chasing 490 for victory against Australia.

But there have also been many higher fourth innings scores than the West Indies 418.

The largest, by some margin too, is England's 5/654 in the "Timeless Test" against South Africa. This 10-day affair ended in a draw, with England just 42 runs from victory. Had they managed the feat, it would have likely been a record that would never be beaten, as five-day games simply don't allow for such matches to take place.

But despite the extraordinary circumstances that led to this game, it is one of just nine fourth innings scores that are higher than the West Indies 418. It is simply that none of these were winning scores.

However, the record is unlikely to last long. Pitches are more consistently favouring the batsman nowadays. Pakistan's score of 450 took place on a drop-in wicket on Brisbane, where the pitch's preparation means it deteriorates less, and that batting fourth is subsequently not the disadvantage it once was.