What is the highest total for a team losing by an innings in a Test?

Pakistan lost the first Test against England by an innings despite scoring over 550 in their first innings. What's the highest score for a team losing by an innings? asked Bernard Woodhams from New Zealand
Pakistan's 556 against England in Multan was the highest in any Test that was not enough to avoid an innings defeat. The previous record was set fairly recently: Ireland made 492 in Galle in April 2023 , but went on to lose by an innings and ten runs after Sri Lanka declared at 704 for 3.

There have been only four higher Test totals that were not enough to insure against defeat. The highest of all remains Bangladesh's 595 for 8 declared against New Zealand in Wellington in January 2017. Australia made 586 against England in Sydney in December 1894, but lost narrowly even though England followed on; Pakistan scored 579 against England in Rawalpindi in December 2022 but lost; and they also tasted defeat despite making 574 for 8 declared against Australia in Melbourne in 1972-73.

This list shows all 19 occasions when a total of 500 or more has not been enough to avoid defeat in a Test. This was the third time in the current century that a team had been bowled out for exactly 556 in a Test - and all three of those ended in defeat.

The only higher total in all first-class cricket to result in an innings defeat is Leicestershire's 584 in a County Championship match at Grace Road in July 2022 - Glamorgan replied with 795 for 5 then bowled the home side out for 183.

Six Pakistan bowlers conceded 100 runs in England's huge innings at Multan. Has this happened before in a Test? asked Aminul Islam from Bangladesh
You're right that six Pakistan bowlers conceded at least 100 runs in England's massive total of 823 for 7 in Multan last week. This has happened only once before in a Test: six Zimbabweans went for 100 or more as Sri Lanka hurtled to 713 for 3 declared in Bulawayo in May 2004 . But there was a near-miss in Kingston in June 1955 , when five West Indians conceded at least 100 runs in Australia's total of 758 for 8 declared, while Garry Sobers finished with 1 for 99.

Was Harry Brook the youngest to score a Test triple-century? asked Casey Dewar from Australia
Rather surprisingly perhaps, 25-year-old Harry Brook comes in quite low on this particular list: ten of the 28 Test triple-centurions were younger when they first achieved the feat. Youngest of all was Garry Sobers , who was 21 when he made 365 not out against Pakistan in Kingston early in 1958. Don Bradman was also 21 - but about three months older - when he hit 304 for Australia against England at Headingley in July 1930.

The only younger man to score a triple-century for England is another Yorkshireman, Len Hutton, who was 22 when he amassed 364 against Australia at The Oval in August 1938.

England do have the two oldest Test triple-centurions: Andy Sandham was three months short of his 40th birthday when he made 325 (the first Test triple-century) against West Indies in Kingston in April 1930, while Graham Gooch was 37 when he cracked 333 against India at Lord's in July 1990.

Brydon Carse hit the second ball he faced in a Test for six at Multan. Was this a record? asked Jim Macaulay from England
You're right that Brydon Carse got off the mark in Tests with a six off Saim Ayub in Multan last week. He was the 13th man whose first scoring shot in Tests was a six, but the first for England.

Carse hit his six off the second ball he faced. The only man to hit the first ball he received in a Test for six was the New Zealander Mark Craig , off Sulieman Benn of West Indies in Kingston in June 2014 . India's Rishabh Pant also got off the mark with a second-ball six on debut, off England's Adil Rashid at Trent Bridge in August 2018 .

Was India's 297 the other day the highest score in a T20 international? asked Vivek Vishwarao from India
India's remarkable 20-over total of 297 for 6 in Hyderabad at the weekend, which set up a big win and a series sweep over Bangladesh, was the second-highest in all men's T20Is, behind Nepal's 314 for 3 against Mongolia (who were then bowled out for 41) in the Asian Games in Hangzhou (China) in September 2023.

The previous-highest total in a match involving Test-playing nations was Afghanistan's 278 for 3 against Ireland in Dehradun in 2019.

There have been five totals of over 300 in women's T20Is, with the highest being an eye-watering 427 for 1 by Argentina against Chile in Buenos Aires in October 2023. Two days later, Argentina ran up 333 for 1 against the Chileans. The highest in a match involving two Test-playing nations is England's 250 for 3 against South Africa in Taunton in June 2018.

Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo's stats team helped with some of the above answers.

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