Despite a 241-run cushion with an option of enforcing a follow-on, England opted to pile up further runs to set a daunting target for India. Batting another 46.3 overs after folding India for 337 on day 4 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, England set an imposing target of 420 before adding to India's woe by removing Rohit Sharma early in the 13 overs they batted in the final hour. India head to the final day with nine wickets in hand and 90 overs to survive with 381 runs more to score. No team has managed to chase so big a total in the final innings of a Test in India. The odds, like in Gabba a few weeks back, are stacked against the Indian team, who unlike the previous Test, have their first-choice team available to aim for rewriting history.
No team, in the history of cricket, has ever scored a tally of 420 runs in the final innings of a Test in winning cause, the highest being 418 for seven by West Indies in 2003 against Australia.
The highest score by a team in the fourth innings in India is 387 for 4, by India against England in Chennai. It is also remains the highest-successful chase by a team in India. In the 29 times where a team has been set a target of more than 387, the chasing team have failed to win any of those Tests, losing 22 times while seven ended in a draw. India themselves have been set such a taregt 12 times at home. They lost eight of those while four others ended in a draw.
Under Virat Kohli, India have been set a target of 150 or more 11 times in Tests, with the team losing on nine ocassions while managing to salvage a draw twice. The highest India have managed to accumulate in the 4th innings under Kohli is 345, against England at the Oval in 2018 when they were set a target of 464. At home, Kohli-led India been set taregt of 150-plus only on two ocassions - against Australia in Pune in 2017 and against England in Rajkot in 2016. India lost the first scoring 107 in reply to a target of 441, and drew the second as England failed to pick the final six wickets.
India in 4th innings under Kohli when set a target of 150-plus....
| Team |
Score |
Overs |
Target |
Result |
Opposition |
Ground |
Date |
| India |
345 |
94.3 |
464 |
lost |
v England |
The Oval |
7-Sep-18 |
| India |
107 |
33.5 |
441 |
lost |
v Australia |
Pune |
23-Feb-17 |
| India |
315 |
87.1 |
364 |
lost |
v Australia |
Adelaide |
9-Dec-14 |
| India |
252/7 |
89.5 |
349 |
draw |
v Australia |
Sydney |
6-Jan-15 |
| India |
172/6 |
52.3 |
310 |
draw |
v England |
Rajkot |
9-Nov-16 |
| India |
151 |
50.2 |
287 |
lost |
v South Africa |
Centurion |
13-Jan-18 |
| India |
140 |
56 |
287 |
lost |
v Australia |
Perth |
14-Dec-18 |
| India |
184 |
69.4 |
245 |
lost |
v England |
Southampton |
30-Aug-18 |
| India |
135 |
42.4 |
208 |
lost |
v South Africa |
Cape Town |
5-Jan-18 |
| India |
162 |
54.2 |
194 |
lost |
v England |
Birmingham |
1-Aug-18 |
| India |
112 |
49.5 |
176 |
lost |
v Sri Lanka |
Galle |
12-Aug-15 |
But this is no ordinary Indian team. Only a month back, India had salvaged a draw in SCG, batting through 131 overs, the most they batted away from home in the fourth innings since 1979. A week later, with a third-string India side, India defided odds on an ominous Gabba track to become the first team to beat Australia at their den since 1988.
India, who under Kohli, have lost just one Test at home and are presently on a 10-match winning streak, will on Tuesday step in at the MA Chidambaram with the belief that they can emulate the Gabba feat at home and script a world record to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
