I totally disagree with the opinion(after watching india in overseas) that 1st and 2nd innings decide the match. 4th innings is as important as these two and to be fair it is even more difficult to score in 4th innings. Anyone who watches the game knows it.
Most people here are just ignoring it because they want to protect their favourites (sachin and smith to be precise).
Anyone who watched india during 2000 knows that laxman was the most clutch batsman in the team.
Kohlis india failed to chase low targets in england bcoz apart from kohli all other batsman were sitting ducks in 4th innings.
Having a good 4th innings record proves that the batsman is a great performer under pressure.
The reason why the first two innings are more important than the 4th innings is because the significance of the 4th innings is dependent on what happens in the first two innings.
For example, if a team bats first and scores 600, then the fourth innings of the match is practically pointless.
Similarly, if a team bats second and scores 600 in reply to the opposition scoring 250 in their first innings, then it is the same situation because the game is pretty much decided.
The vast majority of Test matches are decided by the events of the first two innings. Even in difficult conditions where the scores are low, the first innings lead is more often than not critical.
India lost 4 Tests in England in 2018 not because they couldn’t chase but because they failed to take a first innings lead in 3 of those 4 Tests.
Simply put, if you take a sizable (let’s say 100 on flat pitches and 50 on difficult pitches) and you will 9 out of 10 times, but if you do not do your job in the first innings, there is a good chance that your fourth innings heroics will be in vain.
That is why runs in the first innings are more crucial. They set up the match.
Hypothetically, a batsman who averages 80 in the first innings and 30 in the fourth innings will win more matches for his team than a batsman who averages 30 in the first innings and 80 in the fourth innings.
People focus too much on fourth innings records because they are impressed by the runs scored when the pitch is at its toughest, but what they fail to realize is that matches are set up and influenced by the first two innings.