ENG vs IND 2nd Test: How many runs do England need to avoid a follow-on?

England started the second Test on the back of a comprehensive win in the opener of the five-match series against India. They beat the visiting Indian side by five wickets in the first match at Headingley, but coming to Edgbaston, the Shubman Gill-led team seems to be having an upper hand. Notably, England won the toss and asked India to bat first in Birmingham, a decision which has potentially backfired the hosts.

India started the innings with an early dismissal of KL Rahul, but Yashasvi Jaiswal made a brilliant 87, followed by a sensational 269 by Shubman Gill, while Ravindra Jadeja also chipped in with a magnificent 89 to finish with a total of 587 in the end. In reply, England faced a horrendous start despite the absence of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah in India's pace attack.

Replacing Bumrah was Akash Deep, who made an instant impact into the match, sending the in-form Ben Duckett back to the pavillion as the English opener departed without troubling the scorers. On the very next ball, Ollie Pope too edged a fullish delivery to Karun Nair, as Akash Deep struck twice on consecutive deliveries to give India an edge very early into the innings. Mohammed Siraj came into bowl the eighth over and affected the outgoing of Zak Crawley, which put England into deeper troubles.

Thereon, England tried to steady the ship with Harry Brook playing some counterattacking strokes in the final session of the second day. Joe Root also took care of his wicket and ensured there were no further hiccups till Stumps. Now, England have scored 77 for the loss of three wickets and trail by a mammoth tally of 510 runs, and it is quite possible that the Indians might affect a follow-on for the Three Lions if they manage to wrap things quickly.

But how many runs do England need to avoid a follow-on?

Follow-ons come into effect only when the team batting second manages at least 200 runs less than the team that bats first. So in the case of the ongoing second Test, England will have to score a minimum of 387 runs in total to avoid a follow-on from the Indian team. Of these, 77 have been scored already, and a further of 310 runs are needed in what could also help them escape an inning's loss.

Both the batters at the crease are experienced enough to pull the side out of trouble. But the pitch has become a couple of days older, and batting has become relatively difficult than what it was on the first two days of the match. Spinners might also come into play, and India have the likes of experienced Ravindra Jadeja and in-form Washington Sundar to deliver the goods apart from a solid pace battery.

The Day 3 is expected to be a crucial one for both sides, as it will be key to determining the fate of the game, and give a hint on whether the game will move towards a draw or either team will be able to drag a result in their favour out of this highly-anticipated contest.