Farokh Engineer: I Doubt India Will Avoid The Follow-On...But Will England Enforce It?

After another day in which England were on top, closing 246 runs ahead, I think for India, it's those 46 runs that are more important than anything else, as they have to avoid the follow-on.

I doubt very much if they can do that because England have been bowling magnificently and the ball is still relatively new.

But would England even enforce the follow-on? They might choose to bat for half a day and put India in, asking them to score something beyond their reach instead.

I imagine that if England had have bowled India out today, they may have given their bowlers a bit of a rest, scored their runs very quickly, maybe another 100 or 200 or so, and then put India in.

India have still got two wickets remaining so they have the choice of which roller to use tomorrow morning. They won't be using the heavy roller because they don't want the wicket to be broken up.

A lot of India's batsmen got themselves in and then got themselves out, some of them playing stupid shots.

What was Ravindra Jadeja doing, charging down the track and trying to hit the ball out of the ground when India are trying to avoid the follow-on?

Although, that seems to be the way they play the game these days.

This morning, I said India's first target would be to bat through the day and they only just got there. They have to do a lot more tomorrow.

These last 46 runs to avoid the follow-on are going to be an uphill task even though MS Dhoni is at the wicket.

Lycamobile ambassador Farokh Engineer was talking to John Pennington. To win a holiday to India with Lycamobile, click here.

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