The follow-on rule is unique to Test cricket. It allows the team batting first, if at least 200 runs in front of the other after both have taken their first turn in the innings, to now immediately enforce the second team to bat again. The follow-on rule has always been one that seems to fascinate and sometimes perplex the new and casual cricket fan of Test cricket. Being the strategic advantage during the enforcement of the rule, it handed a chance to the team for a win. But it cannot be exercised under all conditions. Like all rules, there are advantages and disadvantages to the application of it, which we will delve deeper into. What is Follow-on Rule in Test Cricket? It is only the team batting first in a Test match that can enforce the follow-on. When a team, after both have completed the first innings, has a significant lead over the team batting second, then this rule applies. Should that lead be above 200, then the team batting first is at the liberty of asking the opposition to once again face their bowlers. In a standard two-inning game, the order is the first innings for the first team, the first innings for the second team, the second innings for the first team, and the second innings for the second team. If the follow-on is made, the order becomes the first team, the second team, the follow-on, the first team, and finally the second innings. This is besides the psychological advantage of getting to watch the opponent bat all over again. It also reduces chances of a draw, as the innings of the second team gets completed much earlier and the first team has the bigger advantage of going first in setting a target for the opposition. As the law specifies in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Laws of Cricket, Law 14.1, in a match taking five days or more, the team that bats first may impose the follow-on if they obtain a lead of 200 runs. However, by convention, the decision whether to enforce the follow-on is entirely that of the captain of the team batting first, in the light of circumstances such as forecast weather conditions, remaining match time, the physical condition of their bowlers, and relative team strength. Follow-on rules apply principally to those where teams have two innings apiece: first-class cricket played domestically and those in the Test format played internationally. How to Calculate the Follow-on Margin in Test Cricket? This, then, is the basic arithmetic to determine the necessity in Test cricket for a follow-on. So the magic figure again: your side's second innings score trails by more than 200 runs to the first innings score that the opposing side mustered; then, and only then, can you apply the follow-on rule. Put simply, a 200-run lead or more is a cushion from the follow-on in a Test match. For instance, in the last year's Test, India vs England, played at Chennai, a strong 578 was put up by Indian skipper Joe Root, who had won the toss and elected to bat first. India, while batting got off to a rocky start, losing important wickets quickly in the form of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ajinkya Rahane, their top order batsmen, with just 73 on the board at one stage. This situation led to speculation that England might enforce the follow-on, given India's precarious position. In that case, India needed to score at least 378 runs (578 - 200) to ensure that England would not be within their rights to ask their opponents to follow on. If India scores below 378, England would have the option to enforce the follow-on. Also Read | Who is the King of Cover Drive? Advantages of Follow-on Rule in Cricket Dominant Position: The follow-on rule puts the team that bats first in a very dominant position with a high opportunity to win the match. Being imposed with the follow-on, the side leading the match tries to rule out the possibility of a draw and apply maximum possible pressure on the opposite side, which has succumbed to its batting once. Boost for Bowlers: The roping in of this rule can considerably enhance the confidence and form of bowlers for making a follow-on. The bowlers, high on confidence regarding their performance of the first innings, would look forward to sending the opposition back to the hut again. All ten wickets are in their hands once again, and if they could bag the opposition with a score of less than 200, they could even win the match on their own. Psychological Effects: Imposing the follow-on shows an aggressive, go-getter attitude of the team that bats first. It shows that the respective team has a killer instinct, thereby putting its opposition to the wall. This dictation causes a psychological rippling of advantages, which can further tilt the forces in support of the team imposing the follow-on. Disadvantages of Implementing the Follow-on Rule in Cricket Bowlers' Tiredness: In spite of its benefits, the follow-on makes bowlers tired. Bowling close to about 20 overs continuously at a stretch in back-to-back innings requires very high physical and mental fitness. Such fitness values may lower in the second innings due to weariness, which the batting team should take advantage of to come back. Batting Last: The follow-on compulsion equally brings about that the team batting will be left to bat last. In most cases, it quite holds some demerits, especially on waning pitches in the last days of a Test match. With the wearing out of a pitch as cracks widen, this may, however, become increasingly difficult for batting and maybe favor the opposition bowlers, and it is difficult to enforce a win. Historical Example: An excellent example would be during the 2001 India vs. Australia Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. In this match, India had no choice but to follow on. However the hosts took on from there and hence were able to clinch this historic win. The main reasons that allowed such a win possible are players like VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, and Harbhajan Singh. Also Read | Top 10 Highest Wicket Takers in International Cricket: Legends of the Game