While India celebrated the opening day of the Pune Test against New Zealand with strong bowling performances, the batting collapse put the hosts in danger of losing the Test as well as the home series against New Zealand. Can we see any dramatic comeback from the hosts? In other words, is there any previous Test match history of successful fourth innings chasing after getting behind 100 or more runs at the end of the first innings battles? 

Leading the three-match away Test series by 1-0, New Zealand captain Tom Latham chose to bat first in the second Test at Pune. While India can’t afford another defeat in this home Test series, which is also a part of the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship, another win for the Blackcaps will only mean their historic Test series win in India.

India are in deep trouble at Pune Test

On the opening day of the Pune Test, New Zealand were bowled out for 259 runs. While Ravichandran Ashwin (3/64) picked up the first three wickets, Washington Sundar recorded his first Test fifer and ended with the bowling figures of 23.1-4-59-7 on his Test comeback.

Starting the second day of the Pune Test at 16/1, Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and the no.4 batter Shubman Gill took the team to score 50 runs. But then the hosts lost wickets quickly, as India lost five wickets to score the next 50 runs.

Apart from Jaiswal (30), Gill (30), and Ravindra Jadeja (38) all other Indian batters failed to reach the 20-run mark as India were bundled out for only 156 runs. New Zealand left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner also claimed a seven-wicket haul (7/53), as he recorded the third-best bowling figures by a New Zealand bowler against India in a Test innings. 

New Zealand started their second innings with a 103-run lead. At the end of the second day, the visitors scored 198/5 with a lead of 301 runs. Although Washington Sundar also picked up four wickets in the second innings (4/56) and already completed his first Test 10-wicket haul, the achievement has been overshadowed.

Is there any chance for India at the Pune Test?

Now the question is, can India turn the table in the fourth innings? New Zealand’s lead has already crossed the 300-run mark, and the visitors will surely add some more important runs on the third day. So, it means that the hosts India will have to chase a big fourth innings target in the Pune Test.

What do the records say?

Here, we will only discuss Test matches in which a team had a 100+ run deficit at the end of the first innings battles but still successfully chased the fourth innings target to record a stunning win. This means that the team batted first in the second innings of a Test match and wasn’t forced to follow on.  

Talking about Indian cricket history, we have seen this picture only once. Yes, only once India won a Test match by successfully chasing a fourth innings target despite trailing by 100+ runs at the end of the first innings battles.

Historic 1978 Port of Spain Test

It was the historic 1978 Port of Spain Test match against India. After the hosts West Indies scored 359 runs, India were all out for 228 runs as the visitors were trailing by 131 runs. The hosts set a 403-run target after declaring their second innings for 271/6. 

While none of the Indian batters managed the half-century mark in their first innings, opener Sunil Gavaskar scored 102 runs, while Mohinder Amarnath was run out for 85 runs, and Gundappa Viswanath was run out after scoring 112 runs. Also, Brijesh Patel scored 49 not out as the Bishan Bedi-led Indian team won that match by six wickets after reaching the target in 147 overs after losing four wickets.

2001 Kolkata Test can't join the upper list

There was another such incident in Indian cricket, which is unforgettable. During the historic 2001 Kolkata Test, India suffered a 274-run deficit. However, India were enforced to follow on, and Australia batted the fourth innings to chase the 384-run target. By bowling out the visitors for 212 runs, India clinched a famous Test win. However, it can’t be considered in the upper list due to India’s follow on and Australia’s batting in the fourth innings. 

Overall Test cricket history

In Test cricket history, 23 matches experienced a successful fourth innings chase for a team despite trailing by 100+ runs at the end of the first innings battle (excluding the 2000 Centurion Test between South Africa and England, which experienced a 0/0 declaration from England and forfeited innings from South Africa). England have recorded it 10 times. 

In the meantime, in the list of leading by more than 100 runs at the end of the first innings battles and still failing to defend the fourth innings target, New Zealand recorded it four times, twice at home and twice away. 

How many times are the 300+ runs chased in the fourth innings in India? 

Talking about the fourth innings target chase in India, 300+ runs have been chased only once. During the 2008 Chennai Test against England, India successfully chased a 387-run target after losing only four wickets.

So, we can see there are a few past records that can still favours team India in the current situation at the Pune Test, but those were highly rare occurrences.