The World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023 is currently in progress in England, featuring a face-off between India and Australia. After winning the toss, India’s captain Rohit Sharma elected to field, opting to put the Australians in to bat first.
The decision proved fruitful for Australians, as they performed exceptionally well, amassing an imposing total of 469/10 in their first innings. Notably, Travis Head displayed exceptional batting skills, scoring 163 runs, while Steve Smith contributed with a commendable 121 runs.
The duo formed an impressive partnership of 285 runs for the fourth wicket, bolstering Australia’s position.
On the other hand, India continued to struggle with their top-order batsmen failing to rise to the occasion once again. Within the first 71 runs, all four of their top batters were dismissed. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Virat Kohli all fell short of providing the solid start required in such a crucial match.
Despite a 71-run partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja for the fifth wicket, Australia maintained the upper hand at the end of Day 2. Nathan Lyon managed to dismiss Jadeja for 48 runs. With Jadeja’s departure, India might face the danger of follow-on in the near future.
IND vs AUS: How Many Runs India Need To Score To Avoid Follow-on?
According to the follow-on rule in Test cricket, the team that bats first has the option to enforce the follow-on if they have a lead of at least 200 runs over the opposing team.
In the current scenario, India needs to score 270 runs to avoid the follow-on, as they are 199 runs short of Australia’s first-innings total of 469. At the end of the day’s play, India managed to score 150 runs for the loss of five wickets in 38 overs, with Ajinkya Rahane and KS Bharat batting.
If India allows Australia to enforce the follow-on, they will face an uphill battle to turn things around and win the WTC 2023 final match. Only four teams have ever lost a Test match after enforcing the follow-on, with India famously defeating Australia in Kolkata in 2001 despite being made to follow-on.
Also Read: WTC 2023 Final: Virat Kohli As ‘The Saviour,’ Top 3 Virat Knocks Against Australia
