India's follow-on blues

Having been forced to follow on against Australia at Kolkata, there were few realistic expectations of India saving the Test on the third day. History had little succour to offer the Indians. Before Kolkata, India had followed on 26 times in Test cricket, losing 20, including 14 by an innings. But the stunning association between VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid created a tectonic shift in the complexion of the game, affording India the luxury of a declaration. Just once before had India made over 500 after following on, against England at Leeds in 1967. Skipper Tiger Pataudi led a stirring fightback that lifted the Indians to 510 in their second innings; the target was 125 and although England stumbled to 92/4, they eventually closed the game out by six wickets.

Although they lost that game, India have succeeded in saving six Tests from a follow-on situation. The earliest was against England in Calcutta back in 1933/34, only the second Test match on Indian soil. It was a four-day Test and Douglas Jardine sent India in once more after they trailed by 156. In the end, the hosts set England a modest target of 82 but left only five overs to get them in, the visitors finishing on 7/2. The most recent occasion was against Pakistan at Lahore seventeen seasons ago. After Pakistan ran up 428/9, India were bowled out for 156 but Mohinder Amarnath hit his second Test century at the ground to see India safely through to 371/6 when play was called off.

Against the West Indians in 1948/49, India followed on in the first Test at the Kotla, despite making 454 in reply to the Windies' 631. It was a five-day game but in those days Law 13 had the follow-on mark at 150 for all Tests, irrespective of duration. The only Test century of Hemu Adhikari's career failed to prevent India going in again, and the Colonel was called on again to rescue the team in the second knock along with Chandu Sarwate.

Everton Weekes was then in the midst of his dream run of five consecutive Test centuries and in the very next Test at the Brabourne Stadium, the visitors forced India to follow on again, 356 behind. But a fine rearguard action by Rusi Modi and Vijay Hazare, who both scored centuries, saved India's blushes. The next occasion was against England at the Green Park in 1963/64. It was the fifth Test of a dreary series which saw the first four all drawn. England piled up 559/8, their highest score of the series and managed to roll India over for 266. Bapu Nadkarni, who bowled 27 maidens in a row earlier in the series, took the opportunity to strike his only Test century as India settled at 347/3.

India has of course never won a Test after following on but they came desperately close once. Laxman is not the first Indian to score a double century in such a situation, that honour went to Dilip Sardesai at the Brabourne Stadium in 1964/65. New Zealand made 297 but humiliated India for just 88, medium pacer Bruce Taylor taking 5/26. Sardesai's unbeaten 200 helped India close shop at 463/5 in their second knock, their only previous declaration after going in again, and the Kiwis were floundering at a desperate 80/8 in 43 overs in the second innings before time ran out. India may give themselves more than 43 overs to bowl out the Australians on the final day of the Kolkata Test but they will still remain a long shot to join England as the only other team to win a Test after following on.