The follow-on is a Test cricket rule that lets the team batting first force the opposition to bat again immediately if they scored significantly fewer runs. It's a tactical weapon that can end matches a day early.
If the team batting second trails by 200+ runs (in a 5-day Test), the team that batted first can ask them to bat again immediately. This means the trailing team bats twice in a row, while the leading team only needs to bat once.
The threshold changes by match length: 200 runs for 5-day Tests, 150 for 3-4 day matches, and 100 for 2-day matches (rare).
Not always. Some captains choose not to enforce the follow-on because their bowlers are tired after bowling a full innings. Making the opposition follow on means your bowlers have to bowl again immediately with no rest.
India famously won a match after being asked to follow on — the 2001 Kolkata Test against Australia. Laxman and Dravid turned the game around with an epic partnership. That result made teams think twice about enforcing it.
The follow-on is enforced less frequently now than 20 years ago. Teams prefer to bat again, build an insurmountable lead, and give their bowlers rest. But when it's enforced and works, it creates dramatic, fast-paced Test cricket.
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