Should India Have Declared?

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Sreelata YellamrazuDec 20 2008

Test cricket is not only about sporting pitches, but also about sporting declarations. If Kevin Pietersen came in from criticism from a few unkind quarters, there are questions being raised if Mahendra Singh Dhoni was careless to miss a trick.

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Given the fact that light was always going to be a factor, critics were of the opinion that perhaps Dhoni could have declared as early as 4pm and put England under pressure after two toiling days on the field. While that is a valid argument, it was fortified by the fact that India had not even scored even ten runs in the period between 4pm till close of play when their innings folded.

Perhaps a man like Dhoni will dismiss this as a case of chair commentator’s conversation. But there is merit in the idea behind the argument. In the modern game when runs come at a fair clip, when competitive targets are set and results are attempted to make happen rather than sit back and wait for something to happen, the time factor in the game and the unpredictable nature of the pitch, as confirmed by established batsmen like Rahul Dravid and Gautam Gambhir, would have certainly put a doubt or two in the England dressing room.

With conditions being the way they are, certainly the Indian bowlers would have come out a lot more confident than the England bowlers who were willing to accept their fate and almost resign themselves to it.

Did Dhoni miss a trick? And how much will it cost? Three days remain to find out!

Declaration – Right or Wrong?

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