Stats: Highest lead from where India didn’t enforce a follow-on

India took a huge first innings lead of 309 runs after bowling out the hosts for 291 runs, a couple of overs after the lunch break on the 3rd day. Despite bagging a huge lead, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli decided to bat again with the match just half way through. The 309-run lead with which India didn’t enforce the follow-on was the 2nd highest for India and the only 2nd instance of them not enforcing the follow-on in Tests after bagging a 300+ lead.

Former Indian captain Rahul Dravid didn’t enforce the follow-on in 2007 Oval Test after the team managed a 319-run first inning lead over hosts England. Overall, this was the 5th time India didn’t enforce a follow-on after taking 250+ runs first innings lead and three are under Kohli’s captaincy. Earlier this year, India batted again after taking a 299-run lead against Bangladesh at Hyderabad.

Highest lead from where India didn’t enforce a follow-on:

Under Kohli’s captaincy, India had a chance to enforce the follow-on on 6 different instances before this game out of which India batted against on 4 occasions and won all the 4 matches. In the two matches where Kohli decided to enforce the follow-on, India won once (in West Indies, 2016) while the other game (in Bangladesh, 2015) ended in a draw which was affected by rain.

India taking 200+ first-innings leads after batting first under Virat Kohli’s captaincy:

(Stats as on July 28, 2017)