3 instances when teams won after following on in Tests

The beauty of Test Cricket is that it allows the team to have another shot at victory.

Very rarely has it happened in International Tests that the team lagging behind after the first innings has gone on to win the match. But whenever it has happened it has just glorified the beauty Test cricket possess.

In the long history of Test cricket, there have been just three instances of a team winning after following on. Coincidentally in all those three matches, Australia was on the losing side.

In this list, we will take a look at some of the greatest comebacks in Test history.

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#3 First Test, Ashes 1894

England vs Australia, Sydney

It was the first Test Match to involve six playing days.

In the first Test match of the Ashes 1894-1895, Australia had scored a massive 586 runs courtesy a double ton by Syd Gregory and a 161 run knock by George Giffen. In reply England could score only 325, still 261 runs behind the Australian first innings total.

Then, the Australian captain Jack Blackham decided to enforce a follow-on.

The England openers started cautiously in their second innings and stitched a 44 run opening partnership.

Albert Ward scored a ton and with vital contributions from other English batsmen saw England finishing with 437, 176 ahead of Australia's total.

Australia were still the clear favourite as they had already scored 113 for the loss of two wickets by the end of the fifth day.

Rain during the night and a bright sunshine in the morning completely altered the conditions of the ground making it sticky and unplayable.

English bowlers took full advantage of the new conditions as Australia lost the early wicket of Joe Darling making it 130-3 at the start of day six. Australian batting stuttered big time as they kept losing wickets in quick succession.

Bobby Peel was the pick of the bowlers as he picked a six-wicket haul in Australia's second innings.

Australia were bundled out for 166 runs handing England an astonishing 10 runs victory.

#2 England vs Australia, Leeds

Third Test, Ashes 1981

Ian Botham scored a brilliant 149 following on

This Test is fondly called 'Botham Test' due to Ian Botham's exceptional performance with both bat and ball that set the tone for England's Ashes victory.

England were 0-1 down coming into the Third Test and the victory in the Third Test was not less than a miracle.

Batting first, Australia scored 401/9 and declared on the back of a ton by John Dyson and vital half-centuries by captain Kim Hughes and Graham Yallop.

England huffed and puffed throughout its first innings and eventually reached 176.

Leading by 227, Australian team did not waste time to enforce a follow-on.

England had a nightmarish start to their second innings too as they kept losing wickets from the word go. Opener Graham Gooch went for a 3 ball duck and soon England were reeling at 135-7. Still 92 behind and with only 3 wickets left, an Australian win was just a formality now.

But, Botham had some other plans. He added a 117 run eighth wicket partnership with Graham Dilley. Further, he added 67 runs with Chris Old for the ninth wicket and 37 runs for the last wicket with Bob Willis. England eventually ended up with 356 runs. Ian Botham remained unbeaten with 148 off 149 balls.

Chasing 130, Australia cruised to 56 for 1 and were still the clear favourites. But what followed was completely staggering. In a phenomenal display of swing bowling, Willis took 8 wickets as the Australian last 9 wickets tumbled for 55 runs and were eventually bowled out for 111 thus losing by 18 runs.

#1 India Tour of Australia, 2001

Second Test, Kolkata

Laxman and Dravid shared a record 376-run partnership for the fifth wicket

Regarded as one of the finest Test Match of the century, it was the greatest triumph for Team India in their Test history.

Australia were touring India with a 15 Test winning streak. They were scheduled to play a three-match Test Series in India.

They defeated India in the first Test comprehensively by 10 wickets to take the tally of consecutive Test wins to 16, which is still a world record.

When India were bowled out for 171 in their first innings in reply to Australia's 445 in the second Test, the 17th win was almost certain.

India were still trailing by 274 and Australian captain Steve Waugh enforced a follow-on.

His decision proved to be correct as India lost its three wickets for 115 that includes the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar.

Ganguly and Laxman carried on the proceedings from there on as they added 117 runs for the fourth wicket.

After the fall of Ganguly, Dravid joined Laxman and together the duo stitched a record 376 runs partnership for the fifth wicket.

Laxman amassed his career-best 281 runs while Dravid smashed a gritty 180. The duo had already laid the foundation for India's Test victory. Now it was all up to the bowlers.

At 657/7, India declared its inning with 383 runs lead.

Australia had to bat out 75 overs for a draw and the Australian openers ensured just that.

The Australian openers Hayden and Slater batted out 23 overs scoring 74 runs. But after the fall of Slater, Australia kept on losing quick wickets.

Harbhajan Singh who had already scalped 7 wickets in the first inning snared a six-fer again in the second innings.

Tendulkar, who could not contribute much with the bat, picked three wickets in the second innings as the Australian team were bundled out for 212.

India won the match by a massive 171 runs which was evitable when India came on to bat following on.

This was only the third instance in Test cricket of a team winning after following on.