India has a worrying trend in Test cricket. Chasing down 150+ targets in the fourth innings. Since Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement in November 2013, India has managed to win just 2 out of 26 such matches, losing 17 and drawing 7. That’s a shocking stat for a team boasting legends like Kohli, Pujara, Rahane, and Rohit during that period.

Compare this with the 2000–2013 era: India achieved 13 successful chases of 150 or more, powered by stalwarts such as Dravid, Sehwag, Laxman, and Tendulkar himself. The decline in fourth-innings grit is a real phenomenon.

But there’s a silver lining. Both of India’s 150+ successful chases since 2013 have featured Shubman Gill playing a key role: 91 in the iconic Gabba 2021 chase and a mature, unbeaten 52 on a spinning track in Ranchi in 2024. Pant also played a key role in the 2021 chase, steering the team across the line with an unbeaten 89.

That’s why the current captain and vice-captain pairing of Rohit and Shubman brings hope. Still, India’s fourth-innings chasing record post-2013 remains a glaring concern. For a team eyeing Test dominance, overcoming this 150+ hurdle is critical.