Australia Loses 3 times by Enforcing the Follow-On

Australia is ICC's No.1 Test Cricket Team, but there have been some instances where the team lost three Tests, even after enforcing the follow-on.

There have been some instances where a team has lost the match even after imposing the follow-on rule. Most of them have occurred with the Australian cricket team.

Australia is the first team to lose a test even after enforcing a follow-on.

India vs Australia – Kolkata - 2001: 

India was trailing in the three-match series. In the second innings of the 2nd Test, the team had to go with the follow-on. The scenario emerged as if, Australia would get the 17th consecutive win.
But fate was on India’s side! VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid, both stood like a rock on the pitch. The partnership led India to go through the complete Day 4 without losing a wicket. It was exceptional batting against the world’s strongest bowlers like Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.
India declared their second innings on 657/7 on the Test’s last day. Laxman scored 281 and Dravid scored 180. Australia had to chase 384 but they could not resist the tremendous bowling from Harbhajan Singh. Sachin Tendulkar also took three wickets.

Australia vs England – Leeds – 1981: 

This contest was the rare of the rarest. The instance where the team enforced the follow-on after declaring the first innings, only to lose the test.
Australia was declared on 401/9, and after England was rolled over for 174, the game was in Australia’s control. But soon, the tables flipped. Australia enforced the follow-on and England was at a poor stage (135/7).
Ian Botham turned out to be the savior. the batsman got into an attacking mode and scored 149 runs off 148 balls. Graham Dilley and Chris Old assisted him, and England ended their second innings with 356 runs.
Bob Willis added icing to the cake with his incredible bowling. The bowler took 8 wickets and gave away just 43 runs. Eventually, Australia trailed behind in the target chase of 130 runs and England won the match by 18 runs.

Australia vs England – Sydney – 1894:

It is the first instance where a team loses even after enforcing the follow-on. It happened with Australia. It goes back to the year 1894 when Australia confronted England in the Ashes at Sydney.
Australia bowled the England team for 325 and secured their chances of winning. Australia scored 586 runs in the first innings; the credit goes to Syd Gregory’s spell of 201 runs.
Australia chose to enforce the follow-on and England scored 437 runs in the second innings; Albert Ward scored 117 runs.
To win the match, the Aussies had to chase 177 runs. Australia was standing at 130/2 when Bobby Peel and Johnny Briggs took another wicket. Jack Blackham was Australia’s wicket. Bobby Peel dismissed Jack and took his sixth wicket of the innings.

In the end, England won the match by 10 runs.