The final day of the Test match found India in a position where four wickets were still required to wrap up the contest.

Challenges on the last morning at SSC

India began the final day needing four wickets, but with the SSC pitch not deteriorating as much, they took only three, none of them lbw or bowled.

The situation highlighted how the surface stayed largely true, limiting the assistance bowlers might have expected after the follow-on decision.

Impact of the pitch conditions

Because the SSC pitch did not break up as anticipated, the Indian bowlers found it harder to force breakthroughs in the manner they had hoped.

The three wickets that fell came through catches rather than any deliveries that trapped batters lbw or bowled them clean.

Don’t think it backfired

Shubman Gill addressed the follow-on choice directly, stating that he did not believe the decision had backfired despite the outcome on the final day.

Key match statistics from the SSC Test

• India required four wickets at the start of the final day
• Only three wickets were secured before the close
• None of those three wickets fell lbw or bowled

These figures underline the difficulty the bowlers faced once the pitch refused to offer the expected turn or uneven bounce.

Why the follow-on call drew attention

The decision to enforce the follow-on placed India in a position to chase the remaining wickets on the last day, yet the lack of significant deterioration changed the equation.

Gill’s comments focused on the reasoning behind the call and his assessment that the plan itself had not produced an unwanted result.

Indian fans following the SSC Test saw how the surface played a decisive role in preventing a quicker finish despite the three wickets that were taken.