AK Markram’s 143 against Australia in the just concluded test between South Africa and Australia at  Durban  was  in a losing cause to provide the 76th occasion of a batsman’s fourth innings century in a losing cause. It also provides the 22nd occasion of an opening batsman’s fourth innings test century going in vain in the history of test cricket.  All such occasions are tabulated below in the descending order of the runs scored by the batsmen

No	Player	Runs	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	AK Markram	143	4	SAF	Aus	Durban	01 Mar 2018
2	D Elgar	136	4	SAF	Eng	The Oval	27 Jul 2017
3	GA Gooch	133	4	Eng	Aus	Manchester	03 Jun 1993
4	ST Jayasuriya	131	4	Srl	Aus	Kandy	16 Mar 2004
5	H Sutcliffe	127	4	Eng	Aus	Melbourne	01 Jan 1925
6	DA Warner	123*	4	Aus	NZl	Hobart	09 Dec 2011
7	JB Hobbs	123	4	Eng	Aus	Adelaide	14 Jan 1921
8	ME Trescothick	117	4	Eng	Pak	Manchester	31 May 2001
9	W Watson	116	4	Eng	Win	Kingston	15 Jan 1954
10	GA Gooch	116	4	Eng	Win	Bridgetown	13 Mar 1981
11	AN Cook	116	4	Eng	Aus	Perth	14 Dec 2006
12	H Sutcliffe	115	4	Eng	Aus	Sydney	19 Dec 1924
13	S Dhawan	115	4	Ind	NZl	Auckland	06 Feb 2014
14	C Washbrook	114	4	Eng	Win	Lord’s	24 Jun 1950
15	SM Gavaskar	113	4	Ind	Aus	Brisbane	02 Dec 1977
16	SL Campbell	113	4	Win	Aus	Brisbane	22 Nov 1996
17	ST Jayasuriya	112	4	Srl	Aus	Adelaide	25 Jan 1996
18	DA Warner	112	4	Aus	Ban	Dhaka	27 Aug 2017
19	PV Simmons	110	4	Win	Aus	Melbourne	26 Dec 1992
20	CJL Rogers	107	4	Aus	SAF	Port Elizabeth	20 Feb 2014
21	JB Stollmeyer	104	4	Win	Aus	Sydney	25 Jan 1952
22	IVA Richards	101	4	Win	Aus	Adelaide	23 Jan 1976

It also represents the second occasion of a South African opening batsman’s fourth-innings century in a losing cause. Both the occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	Runs	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	AK Markram	143	4	SAF	Aus	Durban	01 Mar 2018
2	D Elgar	136	4	SAF	Eng	The Oval	27 Jul 2017

It also provides the 13^th occasion of a batsman’s fourth innings going in vain against Australia. All such occasions are listed below. It represents the highest fourth innings score by an opening batsman in a losing cause against Australia. The previous best was 133 by GA Gooch of England at Manchester in Jun 1993

No	Player	Runs	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	AK Markram	143	4	SAF	Aus	Durban	01 Mar 2018
2	GA Gooch	133	4	Eng	Aus	Manchester	03 Jun 1993
3	ST Jayasuriya	131	4	Srl	Aus	Kandy	16 Mar 2004
4	H Sutcliffe	127	4	Eng	Aus	Melbourne	01 Jan 1925
5	JB Hobbs	123	4	Eng	Aus	Adelaide	14 Jan 1921
6	AN Cook	116	4	Eng	Aus	Perth	14 Dec 2006
7	H Sutcliffe	115	4	Eng	Aus	Sydney	19 Dec 1924
8	SM Gavaskar	113	4	Ind	Aus	Brisbane	02 Dec 1977
9	SL Campbell	113	4	Win	Aus	Brisbane	22 Nov 1996
10	ST Jayasuriya	112	4	Srl	Aus	Adelaide	25 Jan 1996
11	PV Simmons	110	4	Win	Aus	Melbourne	26 Dec 1992
12	JB Stollmeyer	104	4	Win	Aus	Sydney	25 Jan 1952
13	IVA Richards	101	4	Win	Aus	Adelaide	23 Jan 1976

It also provides the second such occasion witnessed on the South African soil. The first such occasion was 107 by CJL Rogers of Australia against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in Feb 2014

No	Player	Runs	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	AK Markram	143	4	SAF	Aus	Durban	01 Mar 2018
2	CJL Rogers	107	4	Aus	SAF	Port Elizabeth	20 Feb 2014

It also provides the highest fourth innings score by an opening batsman in a losing cause in the annals of test cricket. The previous best was 136 by DA Elgar of South Africa against England at The Oval in Jul 2017.  Both the occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	Runs	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	AK Markram	143	4	SAF	Aus	Durban	01 Mar 2018
2	D Elgar	136	4	SAF	Eng	The Oval	27 Jul 2017