After conceding a first-innings lead of 356 runs in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, India face an uphill task to save the match. If they are to win, it will need a miraculous comeback.
The first day of the Bengaluru Test had been washed out without so much as a toss. India chose to bat on an overcast morning on day two, a decision that proved to be part of their undoing.
Within the first hour of play, they had been reduced to 13-3, as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan all made their way back to the pavilion. Left-handers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant attempted to rebuild, but Jaiswal was prised out by Will O'Rourke to leave India 31-4.
Thereafter, it was a procession of wickets as the hosts collapsed to 46 all out, their lowest-ever Test score on home soil. By the end of the day, New Zealand had built up a lead of 134 runs, on the back of Devon Conway's 91.
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If India are to win this match, they will have to set a world record for the largest lead overturned to win a Test.
Full list: Biggest first-innings leads overturned to win a Test match
New Zealand's first innings eventually ended at 402, giving them a lead of 356, which is greater than the largest first-innings lead a team has ever overturned to win a Test match. By the end of day three, India had made decent headway
That record is currently 331, held by England against Pakistan in 2006, but there is a catch. At the Oval, England were bowled out for 173 in the first innings before Pakistan went on to score 504. England fared better second time around, and were batting on 298-4 when Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq registered a protest against the changing of the ball by umpire Darrell Hair earlier in the day by refusing to let his team take the field after tea on day four.
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The incident blew up after Hair subsequently said he would not take the field if Pakistan did, and they were eventually deemed to have forfeited the match by refusing to play, handing a win to England.
Apart from these special circumstances, the largest lead overturned to win a match is 291 runs, which Australia conceded to Sri Lanka in August 1992 in Colombo. They were bowled out for 256 in the first innings before Sri Lanka declared at 547-8. A superb team effort saw Australia score 471 in the third innings to set the hosts 181 to win. Greg Matthews' 4-76 and Shane Warne's 3-11 then helped them record a narrow 16-run victory.
| Lead overturned | Team | Opposition | Bat/field first | Year |
| 331* | England | Pakistan | Batting first | 2006 |
| 291 | Australia | Sri Lanka | Batting first | 1992 |
| 274 | India | Australia | Fielding first | 2001 |
| 261 | England | Australia | Fielding first | 1894 |
| 248+ | England | South Africa | Fielding first | 2000 |
| 236 | Australia | South Africa | Fielding first | 1950 |
| 227 | England | Australia | Fielding first | 1981 |
| 226 | New Zealand | England | Fielding first | 2023 |
| 206 | Australia | Pakistan | Batting first | 2010 |
| 192 | Sri Lanka | India | Batting first | 2015 |
*won after Pakistan refused to play
+England forfeited the first innings, South Africa then declared the second innings on 0-0
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