How Many Times has India Won a Test Match After Giving Follow On against Sri Lanka?
India have given Sri Lanka the follow-on in the second Test. Check out all eight previous instances when India did the same and the results of those matches.
India displayed a commanding bowling performance in the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. Lankans were trailing massive 503 runs in the second innings bundled out for just 290 runs. This helped India enforce the follow-on.
After deciding to bat first India showed great composure in the first innings. Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel scored brilliant centuries. They were supported by half-centuries from Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant as India crossed the 500-run mark.
Coming out to bat Sri Lanka’s top order failed to score big once again as the side was reduced to 35 for 3. Pasindu Sooriyabandara played a rescue act with his 80-run knock before getting bowled by Ravindra Jadeja. Young Sonal Dinusha scored a crucial century to give Sri Lanka a fightback but that wasn’t enough as hosts were left behind with a huge deficit and were forced to bat again.
With rain looming large in Colombo India will be eyeing to get Sri Lanka all out early and complete a clean sweep in this Test series.
What is Follow-On in Test Cricket?
The follow-on in Test cricket is governed by MCC Law 14, which states that the team batting first can force the opposition to bat again immediately in the second innings if certain criteria are met.
Normal Order of Play vs Follow-On
Normal sequence: Team A (first innings) - Team B (first innings) - Team A (second innings) - Team B (second innings)
Follow-on: Team A (first innings) - Team B (first innings) - Team B (second innings) - Team A (second innings)
The 200-Run Lead Rule
To enforce the follow-on, a team must take a lead of at least 200 runs after the first innings of a Test match.
The follow-on is optional and not mandatory. The team with the lead can decide whether to enforce it based on the match situation and its tactics.
List of matches where India Enforced Follow-On Against Sri Lanka
India already have a strong record against Sri Lanka in Test cricket. On all eight previous occasions when India enforced the follow-on, they went on to win every time. Below is the list of all eight matches along with the results.
| Match / Venue | Year | Result | |
| 1 | 3rd Test, Cuttack | 1987 | India won by an innings and 67 runs |
| 2 | Only Test, Chandigarh | 1990 | India won by an innings and 8 runs |
| 3 | 1st Test, Lucknow | 1994 | India won by an innings and 119 runs |
| 4 | 2nd Test, Bengaluru | 1994 | India won by an innings and 95 runs |
| 5 | 2nd Test, Kanpur | 2009 | India won by an innings and 144 runs |
| 6 | 2nd Test, SSC Colombo | 2017 | India won by an innings and 53 runs |
| 7 | 3rd Test, Pallekele | 2017 | India won by an innings and 171 runs |
| 8 | 1st Test, Mohali (PCA Stadium, Chandigarh) | 2022 | India won by an innings and 222 runs |
Source: ESPNCricInfo
Meanwhile, this is the ninth instance when India enforced follow-on vs Sri Lanka. Till Lunch on Day 4, Sri Lanka were 83 for 2 with still trail by 130 runs. It will be interesting to see how this game progresses.
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Varun Verma is an education and sports journalist with over three years of experience in journalism, with a strong focus on cricket . He has previously worked with SportsYaari and CricketTimes.com, where he developed a strong news sense and a knack for storytelling while covering breaking news and major sporting events. He holds a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi. Beyond sports, his interests include geopolitics, Indian polity and government policies. Inspired by the grit and passion of Ben Stokes, he strives to bring the same depth in his life.
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