The beauty of cricket is that nothing is decided until the last ball. From 500-1 betting odds to 91/7 on the scoreboard, these 10 matches prove that courage and one great innings can turn a game upside down.

This list features matches where the winning side was staring at defeat, often more than once, until a single player or partnership made history. The order is not a mathematical ranking; it is based on drama, circumstances and impact.

1Headingley Test, 1981: Botham’s Ashes Miracle

England were bowled out for just 174 in the first innings, and Australia declared on 401/9. Forced to follow on, England were 135/7 in their second innings and the match looked finished. Bookmakers had priced an England win at 500-1, and Australians Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh even placed a bet on England at those odds.

Turning point: Botham smashed 149 not out and England set Australia a target of 130. Willis then tore through the batting order and bowled Australia out for 111. England became only the second team in Test history to win after following on.

2Kolkata Test, 2001: The Laxman-Dravid Partnership

Steve Waugh’s Australia arrived in India on a run of 16 straight Test wins. After losing in Mumbai, India were bowled out for 171 in Kolkata and trailed by 274 runs. Forced to follow on, India looked beaten.

Turning point: VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid batted through the entire fourth day and wore Australia down. On the final day Harbhajan took 13 wickets in the match to seal it. Australia’s 16-Test winning streak ended, and India went on to win the series 2-1.

3Headingley Test, 2019: Ben Stokes’ Miracle

England were bowled out for just 67 in the first innings. Australia made 246 in the second and set England a huge target of 359. At 286/9, England still needed 73 with tail-enders like Jack Leach at the crease.

Turning point: In the last-wicket stand Leach scored just 1 run while Stokes did everything else. Through a missed run-out and several close decisions, Stokes unleashed a barrage of boundaries to win the match. The innings keeps the Ashes alive and is counted among the greatest in Test history.

4Brisbane (Gabba) Test, 2021: Rishabh Pant and a Depleted India

After being bowled out for 36 in Adelaide, India’s situation looked grim. Captain Virat Kohli had returned home and several players were injured during the series. Australia had not lost a Test at the Gabba since 1988, yet India chased down a target of 328.

Turning point: Shubman Gill’s strong start, Cheteshwar Pujara’s stubbornness while taking blows on the body, and finally Pant’s aggressive finish. Pant hit the winning boundary and ended Australia’s 32-year unbeaten run at the Gabba. It is regarded as one of the biggest series comebacks in Test history.

5India vs Zimbabwe, 1983 World Cup: Kapil Dev’s 175*

At Tunbridge Wells, India were 9/4 and then 17/5, with elimination from the World Cup looming. The match was not even recorded for television because of a BBC strike that day.

Turning point: Kapil hit 16 fours and 6 sixes for what was then the highest score in ODI cricket. He added 126 for the eighth wicket with Syed Kirmani (24*). The win took India into the semi-final, and they went on to become world champions for the first time.

6Australia vs South Africa, 2006: The Record 434 Chase

At Johannesburg, Ricky Ponting hit 164 off 105 balls and Australia piled up 434/4 in 50 overs. At the time, chasing such a total in an ODI was considered almost impossible.

Turning point: Gibbs scored a blistering century and the middle order kept the run rate above 9 an over throughout. In the final over Mark Boucher hit a four and a six to finish the job with one wicket in hand. The two teams scored a combined 872 runs that day.

7NatWest Trophy Final, 2002: Yuvraj and Kaif at Lord’s

England made a huge 325 at Lord’s. In reply, India slumped to 146/5 and the crowd had little hope left. Then Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh changed the course of the match.

Turning point: The pair added 121 for the sixth wicket. After the win, captain Sourav Ganguly took off his shirt and waved it from the balcony, one of the most iconic images in Indian cricket.

8Australia vs Afghanistan, 2023 World Cup: Maxwell’s 201*

Chasing Afghanistan’s 291 at the Wankhede, Australia collapsed to 91/7 and their semi-final hopes seemed to be over. Glenn Maxwell was battling leg cramps and could barely run.

Turning point: Maxwell kept hitting fours and sixes while standing on one leg, as Pat Cummins simply held up the other end. It was the first double century in a successful ODI chase, and a 200-plus stand for the seventh wicket was also a record.

9India vs Pakistan, 2022 T20 World Cup: Kohli at the MCG

Chasing 160, India were 31/4 in front of more than 90,000 fans in Melbourne, with Pakistan on top. Then Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya added 113 for the fifth wicket.

Turning point: With 31 needed off the last two overs, Kohli hit two sixes off Haris Rauf, including the straight-bat six still talked about today. It is counted among the most thrilling T20 matches of recent years.

10T20 World Cup Final, 2016: Brathwaite’s Four Sixes

At Eden Gardens in Kolkata, West Indies needed 19 off the final over with Ben Stokes holding the ball. England were favourites and most people thought the match was over.

Turning point: Brathwaite hit Stokes for four sixes off the first four balls, winning West Indies a second T20 World Cup with two balls to spare. Ian Bishop’s “Remember the name” commentary moment is still fresh in fans’ memory.

At a Glance: The 10 Comeback Matches

What Do These Comebacks Teach Us?

A pattern runs through every comeback: one player who stayed fearless under pressure, a partnership that shifted the momentum, and a small slip from the opposition. Winning a Test after following on, scoring 200 from 91/7, or chasing 19 in the last over all show that the scoreboard never tells the whole story in cricket.

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