With India clinging on and doing their best to forge a strong partnership after a top order breakdown in the first innings, the third Test match between Australia and India has reached an intriguing point at this point.
Even though rain has repeatedly stopped play, India has to score at least 246 runs to prevent the Australians from forcing them to follow up today.
What is a follow-on in cricket?
In long-format cricket, when each team usually bats twice, like in domestic First-Class matches and international Test matches, the follow-on is a tactic adopted. It enables a team to make the opposition bat again right after their first innings, although it can only be applied after three innings have been played.
The captain of the team that batted first decides whether to enforce the follow-on. The captain may elect to impose the follow-on if the team is ahead by a significant margin, believing that bowling the opponent out twice will win the match more quickly. Law 14.2 of the Laws of Cricket states that the captain must inform the umpires and the opposing captain of this decision, which is final once it is made.
What is the minimum lead required to enforce a follow-on?
The length of the match determines the minimum lead needed to enforce the follow-on. A team must have a 200-run lead for five-day tests. The minimum score for domestic First-Class cricket competitions, such as the Ranji Trophy, is 150 runs. Two-day games require a lead of 100 runs, whereas one-day matches require a lead of 75. If the first day is wiped out, the lead is adjusted according to Law 14.1.3.
By quickly exhausting the opposition and taking advantage of their low total and brittle morale, teams choose the follow-on to maximise the likelihood of a result. Although player exhaustion is a consequence, it also increases the bowlers’ confidence.
Why Australia won't enforce a follow-on on India?
Because the start-stop sessions in Brisbane give the Indians some relief as they try to keep the scoreboard moving right now, it is anticipated that the Australians won’t have the opportunity to reach the total required to avoid a follow-on, even if India is not far from doing so.
Enforcing a follow-on with one day left in the Brisbane Test might not be the best course of action if the Australians want to win a game that has been severely disrupted by bad weather.
Conversely, Australia may decide to bat for a single session and then set a target for India to chase.
Since they were last subjected to a follow-on in Test cricket in 2011, when England imposed one at the Oval and went on to win the series by a 4-0 score, India would want to avoid it.
Though India ultimately prevailed at Eden Gardens in 2001, that was the last time Australia forced a follow-on on India in red ball cricket. Having said that, it will be challenging to win in Australia following the Indians’ poor batting performance in the third test.
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