Follow-on rules in Cricket

What are follow-on rules?

In cricket, a team that bats second and significantly trails the team batting first is sometimes invited to "follow on," which means that they bat again immediately after their first innings. The follow-on rule is meant to penalize teams who bat poorly in their first innings, and to encourage them to play more aggressively in the future.

The follow-on rule is only enforced in Test matches, which are the longest form of cricket. In One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals, teams bat only once in each innings.

When are follow-on rules applied?

The follow-on rule is applied in a two-innings match of 5 days or more.
The team batting first must lead by at least 200 runs.
The team batting second must not have already batted.

What happens if a team is asked to follow on?

If a team is asked to follow on, they must bat again immediately after their first innings. They cannot refuse the follow-on, and they cannot bat again in their second innings unless they are bowled out or declare their innings closed.

The team that follows on has a significant disadvantage, because they are tired from batting in their first innings and they are facing a fresh bowling attack. However, if they can bat well in their second innings, they have a chance to salvage the match.

The follow-on rule is an important part of Test cricket. It is meant to penalize teams who bat poorly in their first innings, and to encourage them to play more aggressively in the future. The follow-on rule can also help to create exciting matches, as teams that are asked to follow on often mount impressive comebacks.