No Wonder Test Cricket is Dying...

[urbestfriend]

Its all easy in talks. You think a wicket falls and team will not have pressure. very coming batsmen will have pressure with fielders attacking in closing positions and Edwards and Bishoo bowling from the two ends. Every falling wicket will increase pressure and then another wicket' date=' and if you try to score runs, there are not field restrictions like in ODI, most of the fielders will be saving boundaries. Understand this difference as well. It was easy to stay on that pitch, scoring at a good pace was not. You need extraordinary batsman like Sehwag or Lara who can play fearlessly in these situations, but that too does not work all the time.[/quote'] Dude, that is true for any test matches..You'll have pressure when you try to score..Who says it is easy ? It is a hard work but my criticism is not for a draw but copping out 15 overs before. I know it is not easy to score, but it is not one of the wicket where pitch is two faced, certain ball keeping low etc..Ball was coming little slow run scoring wasn't as difficult as it is made out to be by you guys. There are certain overs where Dravid and Vijay scored 6 runs per over..Had India be little more innovative by sending Harby to take them on , who knows we would have reached close. There was no chance of India losing, then why not try ?

[Texan]

Its all easy in talks. You think a wicket falls and team will not have pressure. very coming batsmen will have pressure with fielders attacking in closing positions and Edwards and Bishoo bowling from the two ends. Every falling wicket will increase pressure and then another wicket' date=' and if you try to score runs, there are not field restrictions like in ODI, most of the fielders will be saving boundaries. Understand this difference as well. It was easy to stay on that pitch, scoring at a good pace was not. You need extraordinary batsman like Sehwag or Lara who can play fearlessly in these situations, but that too does not work all the time.[/quote'] The ICC's cricket rule states: If there is no chance of a result, play can be called off with both captains' consent after 30 minutes into the mandatory hour (or after 8 overs have been bowled). The fact is that both captains misused this rule. There was a chance of a result. In fact all 4 results (WI win, India win, Draw, Tie) were possible. Then, why call off play? In fact, the umpires should have put their foot down and made both teams play.

[Trichromatic]

that too on a fifth day wearing pitch against good enough bowling attack...

Didn't Edwards innings should have given batsman confidence that playing 12-13 overs was not difficult for 6-7 Indian batsman on the same wearing pitch? How did you forget what happened in first 2 sessions of the match. Was that pitch different or something terrible happened to the pitch during tea?

[NareshK]

Dude' date=' that is true for any test matches..You'll have pressure when you try to score..Who says it is easy ? It is a hard work but my criticism is not for a draw but copping out 15 overs before. I know it is not easy to score, but it is not one of the wicket where pitch is two faced, certain ball keeping low etc..Ball was coming little slow run scoring wasn't as difficult as it is made out to be by you guys. There are certain overs where Dravid and Vijay scored 6 runs per over..Had India be little more innovative by sending Harby to take them on , who knows we would have reached close. There was no chance of India losing, then why not try ?[/quote'] The scoring rate when Raina got out was already 5.5 and increasing. Have you seen batsmen scoring 5-6 runs an over consistently in this test match at any point ? There's no way anybody could have scored boundaries when all the fielders were on the boundary line and the bowling was defensive and pitch was not easy to bat on. Harbhajan, Dhoni or anyone else wouldnt have made any difference. India failed to win when the bowlers couldnt get the tailenders out for 40 + overs. Dont blame the batsmen for it.

[Texan]

And they weren't even chasing an asking rate over 10... it was just under 6. If they would have played out the next 7 overs and just got 25 off them without losing a wicket, they were looking at just chasing down 60 odd runs in 8 overs with 7 wickets in hand. With Dhoni, Kohli, Bhajji to come and VVS and Dravid still at the crease and a perfect batting wicket, that would have been easy to get. We handed WI a lifeline. They were NEVER that forgiving in their heydays. NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.

[NareshK]

And they weren't even chasing an asking rate over 10... it was just under 6. If they would have played out the next 7 overs and just got 25 off them without losing a wicket, they were looking at just chasing down 60 odd runs in 8 overs with 7 wickets in hand. With Dhoni, Kohli, Bhajji to come and VVS and Dravid still at the crease and a perfect batting wicket, that would have been easy to get. We handed WI a lifeline. They were NEVER that forgiving in their heydays. NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.

Yeah, dont strain yourself by watching test match cricket. IPL is just around the corner.

[Texan]

Yeah' date=' dont strain yourself by watching test match cricket. IPL is just around the corner.[/quote'] What does that mean? You think 86 off 90 balls is not possible in test cricket on a 5th day? Watch how Aussies chased few years ago!

[Trichromatic]

Dude' date=' that is true for any test matches..You'll have pressure when you try to score..Who says it is easy ? It is a hard work but my criticism is not for a draw but copping out 15 overs before. I know it is not easy to score, but it is not one of the wicket where pitch is two faced, certain ball keeping low etc..Ball was coming little slow run scoring wasn't as difficult as it is made out to be by you guys. There are certain overs where Dravid and Vijay scored 6 runs per over..Had India be little more innovative by sending Harby to take them on , who knows we would have reached close. There was no chance of India losing, then why not try ?[/quote'] Exactly no one saying that try till last wicket or go for the draw when all specialist batsman are out. I would have appreciated if Indian team at least tried it by sending Harbhajan or some other batsman with intent of scoring quickly. Even if he failed, pitch was not so dangerous that 7 batsman couldn't have survived 12-13 overs. Dravid, Laxman, Dhoni, Kohli - 4 specialist batsman and you expect that pressure might have led to the collapse in 12-13 overs? If that had happened then it would have been one of the worst performance. Since when the teams start fearing from the worst situation? Clearly only series was on the India's mind. With this draw they still won the series. That's why there was no intent of winning the series. Those who are supporting the decision, would they have been supporting if India was down in the series by 0-1 and India decided to play for the draw?

[gaurav92]

The scoring rate when Raina got out was already 5.5 and increasing. Have you seen batsmen scoring 5-6 runs an over consistently in this test match at any point ? There's no way anybody could have scored boundaries when all the fielders were on the boundary line and the bowling was defensive and pitch was not easy to bat on. Harbhajan, Dhoni or anyone else wouldnt have made any difference. India failed to win when the bowlers couldnt get the tailenders out for 40 + overs. Dont blame the batsmen for it.

Yes I have, Aus v/s Eng Ashes 06/97 - Adelaide test. Against a better opposition on a similare sort o track. India were chasing 3.8 an over initially, but then the wicket off the first ball didn't help. Dravid and Vijay stringed a good partnership, but then Dravid should have moved on and rotated the strike a lot more, or showed some positive intent. When they shook hands, we need less than 6 an over, and still we decided to throw the match away and be happy wit ha draw ? I doubt if any team would have done that (especially when you are number one side in the World). yes it was difficult but should have at least given a try. And don't tell me that we would have been bundled out cheaply as the pitch was decent enough to stick around once you lose a wicket. And our batsman are capable enough to do that.

[urbestfriend]

The scoring rate when Raina got out was already 5.5 and increasing. Have you seen batsmen scoring 5-6 runs an over consistently in this test match at any point ? There's no way anybody could have scored boundaries when all the fielders were on the boundary line and the bowling was defensive and pitch was not easy to bat on. Harbhajan, Dhoni or anyone else wouldnt have made any difference. India failed to win when the bowlers couldnt get the tailenders out for 40 + overs. Dont blame the batsmen for it.

:haha: For starter http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63219.html 1978, much before these 20-20 was introduced, Pakistan chased 164 in 25 overs in 5th day turning subcontinent pitch when they were comfortably 1-0 ahead and easily went for a draw to secure a series win. If Viru and Gauti was there for 15 overs, I'm 100% sure we would have chased this score.

[asterix]

If you allow 2 opposition batsmen to score 100s in the 2nd innings, then here's something seriously wrong with your bowling..

[Trichromatic]

:haha: For starter http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63219.html 1978, much before these 20-20 was introduced, Pakistan chased 164 in 25 overs in 5th day turning subcontinent pitch when they were comfortably 1-0 ahead and easily went for a draw to secure a series win. If Viru and Gauti was there for 15 overs, I'm 100% sure we would have chased this score.

Probably they went to the future and got inspired from IPL.

If you allow 2 opposition batsmen to score 100s in the 2nd innings' date=' then here's something seriously wrong with your bowling..[/quote'] Allow a no 10 batsman to bat for 37 overs.

[BeautifulGame]

ohh... there were many instances of that! They went after India's target in the famous Kolkata (Laxman's Test) Test match. They made many other sporting declarations. I remember a match in which Mark Butcher got a hundred in the 4th innings to chase down a total set by Australia after a sporting declaration. They also won a number of matches with sporting declarations. They chased a 4th innings target quite similar to the one we were set today' date=' in 2006 against England at Adelaide.[/quote'] None of the tests u mentioned are the decding tests of a series.Show me a single series in which Aussies took a attacking decision in the deciding test of a series? All this nonsense about oh Australia did it we must do too is just rubbish.Australia never risked a series for margin of victory.

[Texan]

None of the tests u mentioned are the decding tests of a series.Show me a single series in which Aussies took a attacking decision in the deciding test of a series?

what?? Kolkata test was not a test in which they tried chasing a target, eventually fell short, ended up losing the series by losing the next match?? Besides, you're getting off the point. The point is that getting 86 runs off 90 balls with 7 wickets in hand on a flat wicket on which even Fidel Edwards batted two and a half hours, was possible. Prove to me that it is an IMPOSSIBLE TASK!

[BeautifulGame]

:haha: For starter http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63219.html 1978, much before these 20-20 was introduced, Pakistan chased 164 in 25 overs in 5th day turning subcontinent pitch when they were comfortably 1-0 ahead and easily went for a draw to secure a series win. If Viru and Gauti was there for 15 overs, I'm 100% sure we would have chased this score.

9 of the 10 Indian 2nd innings wkts were taken by Imran and Sarfraz Nawz and u call that wkt a turning sub continental wicket :facepalm:

[riwi999]

Totally agree with Texan here. We need to look at this not as India supporters or West Indies supporters but as cricket supporters. The ICC rule in this regard was misused by the captains. The umpires should indeed have put their foot down and not allowed the game to be called off. Already a lot of time in the game was lost to bad weather. Surely the spectators, on the ground and those watching it on TV, deserved better?

[BeautifulGame]

what?? Kolkata test was not a test in which they tried chasing a target, eventually fell short, ended up losing the series by losing the next match?? Besides, you're getting off the point. The point is that getting 86 runs off 90 balls with 7 wickets in hand on a flat wicket on which even Fidel Edwards batted two and a half hours, was possible. Prove to me that it is an IMPOSSIBLE TASK!

The Kolkatta test was the 2nd test of the series as far as i know.That was not the deciding test like our 3rd test vs WI.If that was the 3rd test and they were only 1-0 up in the series they would have opted for draw too. No i am not getting of the point.The point is the Aussies would have done the same in this situation like Dhoni.Winning the series is more important than the victory of Margin. No point in trying to win 2-0 and endup drawing 1-1.No smart captain would do that.The target was the important aspect that dictated Dhoni but the stage where the series is poised.We are not going to gain anything by winning 1-0 or 2-0 most important thing is winning the series and we have achieved that.

[urbestfriend]

The Kolkatta test was the 2nd test of the series as far as i know.That was not the deciding test like our 3rd test vs WI.If that was the 3rd test and they were only 1-0 up in the series they would have opted for draw too. No i am not getting of the point.The point is the Aussies would have done the same in this situation like Dhoni.Winning the series is more important than the victory of Margin. No point in trying to win 2-0 and endup drawing 1-1.No smart captain would do that.The target was the important aspect that dictated Dhoni but the stage where the series is poised.We are not going to gain anything by winning 1-0 or 2-0 most important thing is winning the series and we have achieved that.

Yeah mate...! We should cancel 3rd test in a 3 test series if a team has taken 2-0 lead...Why waste people's time?

[Trichromatic]

No point in trying to win 2-0 and endup drawing 1-1.

For that India would have to loose it's 6 wickets in 12-13 overs on a day when a no 10 batted for 37 overs! That is rarer than a team going for win in last test when series is won.

[BeautifulGame]

Yeah mate...! We should cancel 3rd test in a 3 test series if a team has taken 2-0 lead...Why waste people's time?

Thats because its for broadcaster's revenue.There is a reason why those tests are called dead rubbers.No one cares about the results in those tests.