New Delhi: India avoided the embarrassment of following on in the ongoing third Test at the Gabba, Brisbane thanks to KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and some lower-order resistance. When a well-set Jadeja was dismissed for 74, India were still 33 runs away from the 246-run mark, the score India needed to reach to avoid follow-on. With odds highly staked against the visitors, Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah put their hands up and showed the top-order batters how to spend time at the crease.
The tail-enders stood tall as Akash Deep (27) and Bumrah (10) shared an unbeaten 39-run stand to help India cross the 246-run mark and raise the hopes of drawing the Test. After a rain-hit Day 4, India finished on 252 for 9, trailing the visitors’ first-innings total of 445 by 193 runs.
But for the late resistance, India would have been most likely asked to follow on and their vulnerable top order would have been exposed against the new ball in overcast conditions.
The consequences of a follow-on would have been dire for India and Australia would have been in the box seat on Day 5.
What is the follow-on rule in Test cricket?
The follow-on rule is only used in long-format cricket i.e. international Test cricket and domestic First-Class matches, where each team bats twice in a match. Follow-on can only be enforced after three innings have been completed. A team that has been asked to follow on has to bat again immediately after their first innings.
The decision to enforce the follow-on lies in the hands of the captain of the team that batted first. According to Law 14.2 of the Laws of Cricket, the opposing captain and the umpires must be notified about the decision, and once made, it cannot be reversed.
How and when is follow-on enforced?
A team can ask the opposition team (batting second) in an international Test match to follow on if it falls short of the first-innings total by a minimum of 200 runs. For example, if Team A has scored 500 runs in the first innings and Team B fails to score 301 or more, Team A can ask Team B to follow on. Meanwhile, in domestic FC cricket such as the Ranji Trophy, the minimum lead should be 150 runs. In two-day games, a lead of 100 runs is needed while the requirement reduces to 75 for one-day matches, in case the first day is washed out.
AUS vs IND: As India avoided follow-on on Day 4 of the third Test at Gabba, here’s an explainer on the follow-on rule in Test cricket and the implications of its enforcement. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
