India favourites despite Dravid caution
I wonder what was going through Rahul Dravid's mind when, from the non-striker's end, he watched as James Anderson splattered Sachin Tendulkar's stumps, and India slumped to 11-3.
Indian captains are used to dealing with the overpowering burden of expectation that is on their shoulders, but Dravid must have been sick with worry. This explains his desperate, shotless innings of 12 which took a record 140 minutes to eke out.
Saurav Ganguly's fluent 57 calmed Indian nerves, and quickly restored their absolute domination – but Dravid's by enforcing the follow on was the hot topic in the Test Match Special email inbox.
I suspect it might have been different had India needed to win the game. But with a draw all that is required to take the series, Dravid's plan – which could only have backfired had they been bowled out for about 70 – was to eliminate entirely even the most remote glimmer of hope England might have had. Essentially, victory in the Test – while craved by Indian supporters - would be a bonus as far as the captain is concerned.
But it remains the most likely outcome. England’s batsmen have shown a depressingly inadequate approach to saving Tests, and you have to say that had the follow-on been enforced, India would probably have won on the fourth day.
The pitch remains essentially true and reliable, and while victory is unrealistic, England should aim to produce a timely display of discipline and deny India a second win in the series.
Mind you, if they are no more than one wicket down at lunch with, say, 170 on the board, England's supporters might allow themselves to dream of a remarkable victory.
No team has ever made more than 418 batting last to win a Test, and England have scored more than 500 in their fourth innings only once when, in 1939, they abandoned a timeless Test having reached 654/5 because they had to catch the boat home!
Rahul Dravid's decision not to enforce the follow-on was extremely defensive and negative. I bet the Australians would never ever have done something so stupid. With 319 runs to even make India bat again, as a captain, I would back my bowlers to get rid of England in two days time on a 4th and 5th day pitch. But with just a day and a little more to bat, I will back England to escape with a draw. His decision has cost India a valuable test victory. India will go home 1-0 rather than 2-0 because of this idiocy.
Complain about this postBut at the end of the day, who really cares, cricket is for the privileged few these days, either those who are prepared to pay up to £65 per day to go and watch a days' Test cricket or pay a costly subscription to Murdoch's television !
Complain about this postWhat I shall miss most after the test series is not the cricket but the coverage on ´óÏó´«Ã½. Nice articles throughout the series and Aggers, you have caused stir to many an emotion within me too with your ponderings on the day's events. But then I just say, Cmon, its only cricket...
Complain about this postThanks for the entertainment, Aggers, Benders etc...I may not agree with you all the time but I definitely enjoy reading your views.
BTW, cmon India 2-0 is the way to go!!
Indians bowled ordinary overs today. Unless the pitch dramatically deteriorates tomorrow - not very likely to happen - almost any test batting side should be able to bat out a full day tomorrow. If England can't do it, that means England have a serious problem on hand beyond this series.
And, indeed they may have a serious problem on hand with their batting!
Complain about this postCould someone please explain to me why India opted to Bat again rather than having the advantage of England to follow-on ?
Complain about this postit was a poor decision by dravid not to enforce the follow on. not sure what was going on in his mind...his bowlers were fresh and could be ready to bowl long spells had india enforce follow on. it will be huge embarassement for india if english can dig out tomorrow and win the test
Complain about this postYes England have not played well over the last year or so, but they are one of the most successfull side that we have had over the 20 years that I have been watching Cricket. It would be nice if the many commentators that we have, including many who were average or poor international cricketers at best would give our newest team members a bit of a chance, and speak about them in the same tones as they do with the young Indian players.
Complain about this postAs an Indian fan was dissapointed with India's display today. The batsmen really don't do well in situations like this they're not sure whether attack or defend, and just somehow get paralysed. The bowling was a little flat too, the intensity was missing, understandable I suppose with a series win within sniffing distance. Here's hoping for a hard day's play tomorrow....
Complain about this postEngland have to go for it.
They're protecting a proud unbeaten home record. One-nil may as well be two-nil, against the chance of a famous series-levelling win.
As for chance, the pitch is as true as you'll find on a 5th day test in England. Everyone focuses on the record score of 418, but what was the highest one day score before australia and south africa both got well over 400?
It's all a question of mind-set.
Complain about this postDravid has done a great mistake. He should have enforced the follow-on. Even Rick Ponting would have not done the same, if his team lead by 300 odd runs. And the way he played, for sure, will be taken noticed by the selectors. They should appoint somebody to coach this team.
Everytime Dravis(?) tactically made a decision, he failed big time. Is he studied MBA? For example, Enforcing England to bat first in Mumbai(2006), Declaring the inning while Tendulkar is at 194(no.), world cup 2007 fiasco and even a lot can be told by an Indian fan.
As an neutral fan(Australian), I wish the Indian team-which dominated more sessions-should win. Please India! don't come to Australia under Rahul Dravid and do hire a coach sooner rather than later.
Complain about this postI think Dravid is an ideal Indian captain, but, Ganguly was way better. What was he trying to do today? I mean there was plenty of swing on offer and its a Day 4 pitch, was he afraid of batting last. He is one of the best batsmen in current times and the way he batted, honestly, I put question mark whether he is really the best? Ganguly saved India from blushes and some sanity prevailed in the lower order. Anyways, thanks to their first innings total, they are still in commanding position, but, England have a great opportunity to save this test match tomorrow. They have all their 10 wickets intact and I think they should play to save themselves from defeat. I expect Indian bowling attack to be fired up and England need to be wary of all the bowlers. Thing over here is that until tea England cannot afford to relax. Anyways, I think England deserve a 1-0 loss rather than 2-0 loss and I am extremely disappointed by Dravid's captaincy and batting
Complain about this postIf England bat out the day they won't be too far away. It really makes you wonder what might have been if India's tail hadn't been allowed to get away in the first innings and the batting had shown some more determination. However, India have been clearly the better team through the series.
This has been a series of cock-ups for England. At 11-3 had England had another seamer India were on the verge of panicking. One got the impression that they were batting to save the game most of the day, rather than playing to finish England off: a curious insecurity! It seemed like Rahul Dravid really did believe that Michael Vaughan can walk on water!
Complain about this postDravis does not have **lls
Poor days cricket except.
TOTAL DEMOLITION OF TANDULKAR
This must be highlight of the day or the series
Complain about this postWhich lottery would you choose?
A) $10,000 with certainty
B) $1,000,000 with a 10% probability
A mathematician or statistician would advise you to pick B), even though most people will pick A) and go home with the $10000.
By not enforcing the follow-on, that is exactly what Rahul Dravid has done.
He has ensured that India will definitely return home with a series victory, throwing out all ambiguity. There is no way England can now return from the dead.
Who cares whether it is 1-0 or 2-0?
We win! And we win handsomely!
A series victory over our erstwhile colonial masters, is indeed a victory to savor.
Complain about this postRahul Dravid's decision to bat 2nd time should be understood in the context of the bowlers needing a rest in such a flat track!. they have been on the field for almost a day and half, and rightly needed a rest!. in fact, it has been Zaheer Khan who has been doing most of the work with the ball with some able support from Anil Kumble. though both Sreesanth and RP bowled well in patchs, much of the duty rested on Zak and Jumbo!.
and it has been so throughout the series and a break is the right thing to go about it!. I believe had Sree and RP been more consistent, Rahul would have put the English for a 2nd time around!.
but none of these can explain the strange and poor innings Rahul played!!.
Complain about this postI wish Dravid had enforced the follow-on. Would have made the game a lot more interesting! Now it seems like it will be a draw... what a shame.
I think England should try and score at a fast pace throughout the day...
Complain about this postAndrew,
Well first of all this is totally absurd and unrealistic to score 500. And pls stop been preposterous and biased.
For christ sake, be authentic and pragmatic.
Complain about this postRahul Dravid should have taken a thoughtful and little courageous decision to put England to Follow On. He has to encourage his bowlers particularly all time fighter Anil Kumble to ball effectively in this session though he was tired. Now at this point, ninety percent chance is that the English team will make it a draw and lot of criticism for Rahul Dravid is waiting.
Complain about this postI thought the decision not to enforce the follow on was good. The bowling attack is never as fresh as the first innings, and given the pitch remains reasonable to bat on, the batting side can expect to make more runs in the second innings than the first. Zaheer Khan's apparent niggle might have supported this decision.
It turned out not to work so well because of the rapid fall of wickets and slow run rate. A day to bowl out England still isn't bad, especially on the usually-spin-receptive final day Oval pitch.
England can count themselves lucky that they have a chance to save face. If they don't take it, questions surely must be asked of the batting line up.
Complain about this postplz get out rahul drabid from indian cricket team
Complain about this post5 an over shouldnt be a problem with wickets in and KP up to 3, Prior in 4 to accelerate rate and get close 320/3 by tea and go for it late on. Use vaughan colly and bell to do a Dravid role (the most boring man in world cricket in terms of captaincy and batting style) if we lose wickets. Only concern is Rahul the risky putting everyone back on the boundary if England get to 100/2 at lunch. He should have a chat with Shane Warne - im enjoying his approach to county cricket captaincy this year in trying to force a result.
Complain about this postWE SHOULD ALL REMEMBER, WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE,THAT ENGLAND IS ESSENTIALLY PLAYING WITH A SECOND ELEVEN TEAM.WHEN FIVE OF OUR REGULAR MEMBERS ARE MISSING FOR VARIOUS REASONS OF HEALTH, THIS IS INDEED A SECOND EKEVEN. WERE INDIA PLAYING US WITH A SECOND ELEVEN, JUST PONDER WHAT THE RESULTS WOULD NOW BE.
Complain about this postor blahblahblah, you could listen to it on TMS, watch the highlights and go tomorrow for £20. it's not ideal, but sky stumped up cash for the counties and to get kids involved.
all which has nothing to do with how important or interesting the match is, as you suggest.
Mr Singh - Aggers explains the decision not to enforce the follow on - unless India were bowled out incredibly cheaply, they have such a big lead, there is virtually no chance of England chasing that and winning. It's always more difficult to bat last.
Complain about this postwhat a SHAME...india should have forced folow-on...come on arnd 330 ahead and one of the england strike bowler not fit to bowl and what u do..bat again....and bat like a bldy snail...there is no way india would lose this test or would have lost this test...what a negative captain...any other team would have forced follow-on including banagladesh and zimbabwe .... and thats a nice way of showing confidene in ur bowlers 2 who bowled brilliantly this whole tour....this is just pathtic cricket by india and dravid....i m sure england would save this test and they should cuz after this i dont think india deserves to win
Complain about this postRahul Dravid's decision about not to impliment the folow-on seemed to be a one based on many aspects. He wanted to be extremely safe firstly and the second reason my have been to give his bowlers some rest before getting to the action again (which seemed justified with Zaheer's treatment) .But it was a poor batting display which froze the indian captain and got into a negative mind set. They should have promoted Dhoni higher up as he is in good nick and seems responsible . With England not loosing a wicket we are into a great climax for the 5 th day .
Complain about this postDravid is a spineless captain to not enforce followon.. A captain should strive for victory and not play for a draw.. shame on him!
Complain about this postI am very happy for Jimmy Anderson, his career was in shambles before the series started but he has proved his detractors wrong and he is one true find of the series. Ryan Sidebottom, Tremlett to an extent have performed well too and will go with enhanced reputation. For tomorrow, it will be mix of cloudy and sunny day, so, I do expect tough questions for England batsmen. We need one big century from one English batsmen and I think it has to be Vaughan or KP or even Bell. Rest of them, they can make decent 60-70, but, we need someone to just occupy the crease at one end and the other guy does scoring. India played better and going down 1-0 to this Indian team won't be bad. Fortunes have favored India in this whole series, but, anyways, thats how this game goes
Complain about this postwhen all is said and done, please remember, that with at least five of our regular members missing,england are in effect playing india with a second eleven. it is not hard to imagine the results if the situation were reversed.
Complain about this postgood afternoon,
i think india wasted the best chance to win the series and at perticular moment when india lost sachin ithought england is going to do a miracle by winning this test match.
i think Dravid has no Brain and cant understand why the hell on earth he decided to bat. the way he scored 12 of 96 bals , only one thing comes into my mind is they have been told to win series 1-0 not 2-0 and allow england to keep some respect. i think it is a a part of Match fixing at avery higher level.
any ways i think this kind of games do nothing but decrease the amount of people watchin cricket by forcing them to loose faith in cricket.
thanks.
Complain about this postkaran
Actually I think most of you are being silly in reccommending enforcing the followon.
1. Allow Zaheer/Sree Santh/RP to rest, get a massage, limber up get back into the "swing" of things, i.e maintence for the primary weapons.
2. Offer England a bait, I'm hearing thing about 170 for 1 before lucnch then a "win" is possible, it's exactly the mind set I want the English to have... to think a win is possible, I want them to go for the shots. You could argue that I would have set them a smaller target, (with the time available, that would be stupidity).
3. India losing wickets is not a bad thing, what matters is the ultimate score.
4. Dravid struggling to score 12 of 90+ is no big deal, why set 600 in 110 overs knowing that the enlish won't bite. IMHO, i think a 450 in 110 overs would have a been a better target.
cheers
Complain about this postI nominate Kumble to be India's captain. He can certainly bowl, and, bat too, when needed. Who wants batsmen who falter if they have the added burden of captaincy & make silly choices?
Complain about this postA lot of credit has to be paid to our bowlers. They weren't fairly rewarded in the first innings.
Complain about this postBut with Sidebottom out injured they still did a good job.
Now it is up to the batsmen.
We could go 2 down and lose the series or draw and still lose the series.
Or be bold and treat it as a ODI run chase and try to save the match.
Let's go for bold!!!!
in response to val (21)..you mention that england played with their 2nd X1..well i know what the score would have been if sehwag,pathan,patel,balaji, nehra and harbajhan would have been!!
Complain about this postthe next batch of indian stars will be even better, so please accept the 2.0 gracefully..it's a bonus and welcome to the future!!
'Who cares whether it is 1-0 or 2-0?
We win! And we win handsomely!
A series victory over our erstwhile colonial '
Er no you don't win handsomely... the rain was the only reason England did not win a first test in which India were outplayed in every department. Short memory mate!
Complain about this postALL OF YOU WHO HAS SLATED DRAVID WILL HAVE EGG ON THIER FACE BY TOMORROW WHEN DRAVIDS INDIA WINS THE TEST MATCH,DRAVID KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING HE IS A TRUE PRO.....
Complain about this poststeve waugh once said something about mental disintegration of the opposition. he was talking about sledging, but its equally apt in this case. dravid's decision to not enforce a follow-on was brilliant. three quick wickets, including an ever-present howeller, threw a spanner in his plans, but at the end of the day, the fact is that england now have to survive a fifth-day pitch, with the full knowledge that they dont stand a chance of winning.
why give england a fourth day track to bat on when you can grind their noses into the dust? if england manages to draw this match tomorrow, good for them. well played. but india still win the series.
i dont see why dravid has to declare, giving england the opportunity to maybe set india a tricky 100-odd runs to win on the fifth day. the object of the game is to win, not to give your opponents a fair shot.
calling dravid's decision a cowardly one betrays ignorance
Complain about this postdravid is pathetic as a captain and a boring player too..sourav is my man anyday for the post!! ;)
Complain about this postwow don't blaming the people.u don't know how atmopher during playing.
Complain about this postHi Richard
After one year people will still say India won 1-0 and no one will remember what happened in the Lord's test match.
Also Dravid made a right decision of not enforcing the follow on considering Indi's poor record to bat second and win the match.
Complain about this postI am following this from USA and Iutterly speechless for stupidity of Indian Team management for not forcing 'follow on' on English Team.
We did it in Australia and gave away the match and series a few years back.
What is it? Do Indian Team management get bribes and bought by wealthy western media or nice looking girls warm their beds?
Complain about this postThere is no logical explanation for their doings in recent years.
Dravid's decision to bat again was not a negative decision. Perhaps most fans just fail to understand the kind of pressure Dravid is currently under given India's performance at the World Cup and that they haven't won a Test series abroad for quite a while. Even if England were to follow on, there is no guarantee there will be another batting collapse for the hosts. The guy is just trying to secure the series win, man, give him a break! Either way the prospects for tomorrow are interesting enough to urge me to get up early in the morning and make that trip to the Oval :-)
Complain about this postIt was a great series, and it will be terrific to watch how England save the test match.
Complain about this postEngland had only 320 runs deficiet and say they followed on and with vaughan or Kevin make big hundered and they made 460 odd runs and give a 30 overs to India to make say 140 runs then there is a game on. We saw how india went like nine pins chasing a small target of 70 in the last test. So they rightly decided to bat again.
But 3 quick wickets back fired their plans but somehow managed to present themselves a winning scenerio. Let us see if they can implement their plans.
Don't be too hard on Dravid. As Aggers correctly pointed out, Indian captains face much pressure. In fact, captaincy of the Indian team is the second most high pressure position in sport in the country; the first is being.....er...Sachin Tendulkar. I can understand the ruthless criticism he would been subjected to if
Complain about this post1. England had followed on and made 450 and had India in trouble in the second innings tomorrow, or
2. He had played an aggressive shot and thrown his wicket away with India being 11/3 in the second innings.
That said, Dravid should remember that his finest innings have come about when he has mixed aggression with defence. Stonewalling only allows bowlers to keep coming at him.
As for the series, India were lucky with the rain in the first test, but give credit to the application shown by Dhoni and Laxman to allow India to bat 100 overs to save the game, and also take into account the inability of England to take the last wicket is 8 overs (yes, Sreesanth's lbw was a bad call, but don't forget Dravid being sent packing when not out, early in the innings).
India have been quite dominant in the last two games (though the last innings leaves a bad taste in the mouth).
My man of the series? Give it to Ian Howell - he's been the most influential "player" in the last two test matches!
Winning handsomely, and interesting suggestion given how demolished India were in the first test.
Yes India have played very well and taken advantage of winning the important tosses which is what good teams do.
But, lets forget the fact that this would be the most successful run chase in history and instead look at the stats.
90 overs of play tomorrow
Just under 450 left to get
10 wickets in hand
IF Englands big players can finally bat, a couple of centurions one of whom probably needs to be KP then asking for 5 runs an over, although brisk a flowing KP and Michael Vaughan or Strauss, Cook, Bell Prior, you just feel if 2 or 3 of them get well in that it could be a close run thing come the end of tomorrow!
Complain about this postIt is ridiculous how england media blames India for every step they take that does not produce an instant winning outcome - Putting england to bat a second time, means India's bowlers are built with infinite stamina. India needs its precious three seamers (in the abence of Munaf Patel - England keeps whining its missing simon jones for more than three years now - so why can't we)
With seven ODI's to follow, we need to presevre our pacemen. It doe snot matter whether we win 1-0 OR 2-0. A series winis already secure. So, why up the pace and lose by mistake. So, Dravid wa sright. It s not possible for all batsmen to fire all the time. The law of avaerages catches up. laxman and Ganguly were out in theri fifities many times and hence have not expended much energy as Sachin and Dhoni and Karthik have done
I find it amusing that Tremlett and Co, get prasied for bowling well when it does not matter. The second innings spell of tremlett is inconsequential. He should have doen it the first time around
India needs some rest - tomorrow, england may still be against the wall even if they save the test
I love this Indian team - they fire when it matters and conserve when they can
way to Go Dravid and Co
Ravi Balky
Complain about this postWhat a dreadful day's cricket for India - they really should have been close to wrapping the game up by now.
To those that say no team batting fourth has scored more than 418 to win a test match, I would reply that 500 is hardly a Beamon leap further. Some day a test side will do this.
Low fourth innings scores exist for several reasons: wearing pitch, lack of time, rubbish team got couldn't score enough runs.
Well, England might just do it - this 5th day pitch is a belter, with true bounce and no real deviation and it also has a fast outfield - runs will come, even with a defensive batting mindset. There is also just about enough time - another 90 overs to score 444 and no wather related interruptions expected. And England aren't exactly a rubbish team either and still have 10 wickets in hand.
In fact the perfect circumstances seem to exist to raise the fourth innings bar...
So given England's team needs to win to level the series, I think the Indian team might well deservedly be punished for its excessively negative attitude.
Complain about this postHi Narendar
Since how long you have been watching Cricket calling Dravid as pathetic.
Go and check Rahul's batting average which is better than even Sachin's.
I can give you some lessons in cricket.
Think before you speak.
Complain about this postIts amazing how my compatriots change tune after one bad day during this test. Its precisely because of knee jerk reactions on this thread that rahul had to play safe. The Indian captain has to get every decision spot on for his countrymen to give a thumbs up. Shame on you guys for criticising the Indian team after one bad session.
Complain about this postJust imagine if India went down 11-3 on the last day chasing 180 for a win, would they recover to 180-6?? No chance. If england batted a second time they could have 300 today and the match would be open now. today they batted well enough because they had the 300+ lead to fall back on and rahul's batting may have just shut the door on a England victory. It may have shut the door on an Indian victory too, but atleast they can finshing series victors. Its not easy being a captain especislly if you are the Indian captain
and I quote "England should aim to produce a timely display of discipline and deny India a second win in the series"
WHY? I would rather lose 2-0 than not try and win this test match. I say we go for it from the off and try and win. After all we are 1-0 down, a draw is no good to us. I don't care if we draw...we lwill lose the series.
Complain about this postThose who criticize Dravid on his battin n captaincy for 2day r simply naive n ignorant.
The decision nt to follow on was a good decisiono at the time. By batting england out of the game ensures a series victory and still gives us over a day to bowl dem out for the test win.
However , wen india came out to bat u gotta remember jaffer was given out lbw to a very bad decision and the condtions turn overcast for swing bowling n credit to eng dey bowled well .
At 11-3 , ind where in trouble. Getting out for less den a 100 at dat stage and eng where rite back in it. In bowling conditions , Dravid did the sensible thing by keepin his wicket in tack, as sourav was batting well and scoring freely at the other end as was VVS wen he came in.
At the end of the day , India are going to win this series. Be it 1-0 or 2-0 , Rahul has lead only the 2nd team in 8 years to come to england and win a series.
These so called 'indian supporters' who criticise our team for suttin like 2day r a disgrace. They expect the team to just go out there every time and not only win but to win handsomely when they have no sporting or cricket sense.
And yes Eng outplayed us in the first test and where unlucky. But apart from today , we have won every single day since and deservedly be winners of the series.
go indiaaaaaaa
Complain about this postIndia played poorly. Jaffer was as usual one of howler's victims. Dravid had played on eof the worst innings i have ever seen. Dhoni and Laxman played well to set up the declaration. I don't think England can do it as they are mentally jaded.
C'mon Chuk De India
Only one point to make is that if India wins the series they would have done that without Dravid's batting in this series and with no coach.
Complain about this postThis Indian team is no good, Rahul Dravid and Tendulkar look shadow of themsleves against second string English attack. I guess its high time that after this series win, they say Good Bye to cricket..
Complain about this postto val russell
when all said n done please remember -
- injuries are part and parcel of sport.
- keeping yourself away from injuries is part of sprtsman's / team's job
- indian openers are also new to job and so are two new ball bowlers - rp n sreesanth.
- england have home advantage.
if you think hoggard, tresco, harmy n freddie r missing.. so are sehwag, pathan n harbhajan.
Complain about this postwould people realise that dravid would've consulted all his team mates before coming to a decision not to enforce the follow on?
the original plan went awry when they lost quick wickets (credit to a depleted england attack for that) so there was a need for the indian batsmen to drop anchor & steady the ship.
500 should be a safe enough score. even if england do make a dart at it they will shut up shop if wickets start to tumble.
i expect more cautious batting from england tomorrow morning. they simply cannot afford to lose more than 1 wicket by lunch.
Complain about this postEngland should swing the bad tomorrow and go for the win - as many others have pointed out, 2-0's as good as 1-0 if you're going to lose, so the batsman should take the opportunity to play free, aggressive cricket. My only reservation with this approach is that they just don't have the batsmen for such an audacious caper. Pietersen's obviously the man for the hour, cookie too, but bell seems to fade in the second innings and from number seven on down there isn't much batting. Bring back the great robin smith!
Complain about this postIndia are a great side, but they let themselves down with their defensiveness today, if they aspire challenge australia, they must be more ruthless. Great team, though, and no shame in losing to them.
he is realy hopeless and cowward captain.he has no confidance.you can amazing how he was scared after earlier 3 wkt down. he was thinking that all responsbility on his shoulder when captain will play in fear whats about others and trust me he has no ability to make strategy to win game. how to play game with strategy.and the same problem with england i dont know why england fans they are tolerating vaughen. normaly he should ask england to play follow on.
Complain about this postSeveral people have suggested that the ozzies would have enforced the follow on. Well it is worth remembering that at the gabba in 2006 they did not enforce the follow on and were roundly criticised. However Langer smashed a quickish century and england were bowled out on a flat track on the final day. All you remember is the result at the end of the series, and Dravid seems to have made the right choice, though we will only know that tomorrow...
Complain about this postI would rather England were bowled out for 460 tomorrow then grind it out to 280/8 at the end of the day to secure a draw. Does the panel agree?
Complain about this postAggers
I agree with your views about Dravid not enforcing the follow on; it was not only very negative, but somewhat baffling. Being 1-0 up, and with a first innings lead of more than 300, surely the most risk-free tactic would have been to ask England to bat again. I also feel this would have been the tourists best chance of winning the match.
Despite a slightly disappointing fourth day, there were, in my view, two outstanding memories from today: Anderson clean bowling Tendulkar by knocking two stumps out of the ground; and Ganguly batting like a prince.
I look forward to your TSM despatches in the winter.
Complain about this postThe decision not to apply follow on and the decision to go slow was very negative when considering the spirit of cricket. Dravid and management made a mockery of paying public who came to see a competitive cricket match.
I am an Indian cricket fan. However I would love to see England coming hard and winning this test match to show how a negative decision is suitable punished.
Complain about this postBlah blah blah is misguided if he thinks Test cricket is too expensive.
Complain about this postI spent 7 glorious hours at the Oval on Thursday for £40. Tell me how many 'underprivileged' people cough up that much for 90 minutes of overrated Premiership football?
I would say cricket is great value for money (so long as you have a full day's play) compared to other sports, the theatre, music festivals etc etc.
Even when Dravid is batting!
The puffs of dust that appeared after certain Kumble deliveries lead me to think that England batting out a draw is highly unlikely, but I'm an England fan and I have to ask myself if I care or not?!?!?!
Complain about this post0:1 , 0:2 whats the difference.
If England put on a heroic dogged Batting display and save the test then it will be hard for me not to think back to the 2nd test and ask myself, why couldn't they do it then???
Due to the youth in the team, the prospect of a 0:0 drawn series is totaly alien to this England side even though it was only a 3 test series.
Still,,,,On a more positive note, I have no complaints with the bowling.
Although not perfect, these guys had to step into the shoes of the "fab5" who won the ashes, and I think they did us all proud in that sense.
Dravid should be dropped for bringing the game to disrepute. One should play the game to win. Coward captains like him are making the test cricket very boring. What kind of moron would not enforce a follow on with overcast conditions? Even worse he waited to score 500 runs.
Complain about this postWhat a SHAME and DISGRACE. This is INDIAN cricket at its worst.
Terrible decision not to enforce the follow on in my view. Professional sportsmen really out to back themselves, and having bowled England out for 350 the Indians really out to have put money on themselves to do the same again and leave a small total to chase (50 or so). Actually what India did gave England a chance to change the momentum and feel of the game, and at least make the draw a lot more likely, if not a win. Then again with KP, Vaughan and Prior around there is always the chance of quick runs, so who knows, anything is possible I guess.
Complain about this postThe decision of Dravid not to follow on is a very important one which will surely dictate the the future proceedings and the eventual outcome of the match without any doubt. It was a decision made keeping many things in mind regarding generating momentum during batting with some quick scoring to demoralize the opponents. It could also have been made to give the bowlers rest and make sure that degradation of the pitch doesnt effect the batting(or catastrophic collapse of the visitor team) in case England put a total exceeding 150 runs during their follow on innings for the visitor team to chase in their secong innings. Overall, the decision was not liked by many supporters of Indian team and the tv analysts. Whereas the accountability for this important decision rests on the shoulders of Dravid, it is not clear whether the team was contacted and taken in confidence. That is whether the entire team or atleast a majority of the team were supporting this very important decision which would surely dictate the outcome of this very important match.
Complain about this postToday he was not only a shotless captain but clearly confused, clueless, indecisive and made a thoroughly unispiring spectacle .
He managed to depress millions by his cowardly behaviour today.
And this when they were absolutely on top and should have been full of joy and energy.. I wonder whether there is a streak of excessive anxiety and fear inflencing his decision.
Nobody has forgotten his Bombay test blunder of putting England first and not trusting his own batting side's excellance and losing to England and not winning that series.
Ganguli and Dhoni would not have acted this way.
Complain about this postDravid decision not to enforce follow on is pathetic.He should have gone for the jugular.England needed to be embrassed and numilliated sjnce they were already demoralised.Now India has to win this at any cost or Dravid will never be forgiven by indian,s media as wellas the fans.I hope and wish the India wins,Good luck.MA-USA
Complain about this postEveryone keeps going on about what a poor decision it was for India to not enforce the follow-on. But logically speaking, it was the easiest way to ensure victory in the series.
Complain about this postHad India enforced the follow-on and England had managed a lead of 100-150, and India chasing, slumped to 11 for 3, sudenly England would have a chance. With a 1-0 lead and playing in the final test, surely one has to think in terms of ensuring a win in the overall series and not giving the oppo any chance of a win and an overall draw in the series.
That being said, Dravid has now placed the ball in Englands court, they now have the choice of slogging it out trying for the win (and in doing so expose their batsmen to a possible 2-0 loss) or they can play calmly and bat out an enevitable 1-0 overall loss. My thoughts are that the true poor sportsmen (England) would rather preserve dignity and bat out a 1-0 loss than risk a 2-0 loss. Either way, its India's series.
Not enforcing follow on- a clear mistake by Dravid. Can anyone tell me how he figured out, by batting again only, he could ensure a series win? England's tails were up when they were spared from the humiliation of follow-on. Come on Dravid, you don't have to be a shrink-this is basic psychology. They must now quote you" we just got out of the jail, thanks to Dravid's sheepishness"!
Complain about this postThere is some credibility in Dravid's decision to not enforce the follow-on. It may be flawed, but I'd certainly have considered it. What if England had smashed their way to a 100 run lead by the end of the day? Another hour tomorrow morning, even batting until lunch, gives a target of around 200 and, on the last day at The Oval, could prove difficult to attain - especially when you consider India's batting performance this afternoon. Although this was the worst case scenario, it would also give England the best chance on winning on the last day, whereas chasing 500 on the last day is almost guaranteed to give the result India need. Dravid expected his team, and probably himself, to bat a bit better than they did; even so, 500 seems unlikely, and a captain has never been criticised for giving a total of 500 to chase before.
If India lose this, it won't be a failing on Dravid's part; it will be a combination of a stunning batting display and a terrible bowling display. Great to see a bit of fight from England's bowlers and openers - just too little, too late.
Complain about this post1-0 or 2-0: which is better? Exactly. England HAVE to get out of the "but history has shown this to be impossible, we can't do that..." mindset and get into the "what the hell, it's only 4 or 5 runs an over, what have we got to lose?" way of thinking. I'm sick and tired of people (yes, in this thread too) who prefer the safer "let's be realistic..."; where has that got anyone in this world? Come on England! This is an extraordinary opportunity to show the world that you've the mental capacity to give this a go. Why go down and out before the day's even started? And to think that some aussies have english blood... Well, it came from somewhere...
Complain about this postIt went exactly as I said it would yesterday. There's no need for Dravid to panic, he's played things just right. Well done to India.
The only thing that unsettles me is how much the toss influenced the series. In each Test the team that won the toss dominated the match - that can't be a good thing.
Complain about this postIt was not surprising that Dravid did not enforce the follow on. Unfortunately, he is one of the most negative captains for India. He was scared if England in the second innings had scored abour 450 his batsmen might go down without much fight as they did it in Lords. Anyway, his negative mindset cost India a 2-0 series win.
Complain about this postWell Dravid's decision was curious but I can't believe the absurdity of some posters who seem to think he has an obligation to provide them with entertainment. His first concern is to win the series for his country and he felt that was the best way of doing it. Therefore, the most we should say, is that the decision did not at first satisfy that end. However, Laxman and Dhoni's partnership has put the game beyond England. Nearly 450 on day five is not possible, simple as that.
Complain about this postthe decision not to go for the jagular could have come only from dravid , india's gutless wonder who basked under thr dominating chapell. now that indian cricket has survived the aussie, let us have a young captain replacing dravid so that the cricketing world really enjoys watching the coming one day series. i expect ravi shastri the wise criketer to quietly work on it with his tremendous leadership qualities and love of good cricket.
Complain about this postI thought Dravid was far too negative in his captaincy the last time England played in India, and it let England off the hook for an undeserved series draw. He has done it again now, although this time there is probably enough room to spare to still carry the series. But India could use a change in captain to get them through the transition that lies ahead for them in their batting line-up.
Complain about this postJust to refer back to the record number of byes let in this test - as a retired wicket keeper of some 40 years in club cricket I would suggest the keepers move closer to the wicket by a yard or so thereby negating the late swing and also move their feet left or right by a quick short step before diving, in that way they should prevent a lot of the byes - however some of the four byes should have been called wides in my opinion.
Complain about this postIt is a duty of any team to try and win every game possible. Therefore i think it was a big mistake by Dravid by not enforcing the follow on. India will still win 95 times out of 100 but this test could have been wrapped up by now or early tomorrow morning.
Now England know that they have to go for the win. If they lose or draw the test they lose the series so the best thing to do is to go for the win. Dravid should not have let this situation arise. India have had at most 100 runs to win in the 4th innings. By not enforcing the follow on, Dravid has shown a lack of faith in his batsmen.
Complain about this postI have to agree with many coments here. Dravid made a howler of a decision and gave England a draw or a record outside chance.
Effectively he gave India's 2nd innings away, 10 wickets for only 180 more runs, and gave Englands batting a break.
If India put Englands batters straight back in England might be 5 wickets down by the end of the day, with India a day to prise out 5 more tomorrow, with either an innings win or a few runs to knock off, with 10 intacted 2nd innings.
Not sure the Indian openers or Tenduklar appreciated the decision either.
Complain about this postGreatest Insult to Indian Bowlers and batsmen
The decision of Indian coward not to enforce the follow-on is the greatest insult to the Indian bowlers as well as batsmen.
Complain about this postCapitan has no faith in them.
And when one doesn't have any trust in the players he is leading, he has no right ot be the capitain. He should quit.
There are many reasons behind Dravid not enforcing England to follow on...
1. His bowlers need rest (very important)
2. If India could make some 500+ lead in quick time(which didn't happen), they can take the mere chance of England saving the series by grabbing a win
3. Australia's defeat against India after making latter to folow on in 2001 seris
Unfortunately, things didn't go India's favour. However, still one day is remaining: who knows India wont win! As an Indian fan i'm waiting for that moment.
Now about Australia, how can anyone confirm that Aussie captain would made England follow on?! Think about Brisbane test 06-07 Ashes series; Australia batted with out forcing England to follow on even though they had a first innings lead of 445 runs with two and a half days to go.
Anyway all the best India; 1bn people are behind you "the men in blue".
Complain about this postWhy Dravid did not enforce follow on? Two possible reasons come to mind.
Complain about this post1. Zaheer was not 100% fit due to thigh strain. So extra rest would help him.
2. His second bowling weapon, Kumble, is 36 years old. He had batted more than 5 hours on day two (something he is not used to), so he thought it may not be wise to make him field and bowl for the second consecutive day.
So please give Dravid a break! He surely knows what he is doing. It may not work out at the end, but he surely had his reasons.
I thought this type of conservative strategy was a thing of the past for the Indian cricket team. Perhaps Dravid was more influenced by Calcutta 2001 (against Australia) than by the present track record of his opposing team. Yet another alternative explanation could be of "not getting the other guy when he's down." Growing up in India, this is what some of us learned on our mothers' lap. Is this benign behavior a la Freud deeply ingrained in the Indian psyche? And then there is another, hopefully unlikely reason, namely, be "nice" to your hosts, even if it makes you look naive!
Complain about this postFor the sake of interest in the game India should have ewnforced the follow-on. But I suppose that Dravid thought that , hey, we've already won a test and alll that is needed at this time is to get a draw and they will be ensured of winning their first series inEngland for over 39 years.
Complain about this postIf I were Dravid, I would have done the same.
Complain about this postIf anything, I perceive biterness because of the ruin of English hopes of a miracle.
England should start reflecting on why they lost the series despite continous umpiring decisions which went against India. India effectively batted with 9 batsmen in an innings and will still win the series convincingly 2-0.
The irony of it all was the sorrow of Botham when Collingwood was given out in the first innings. The decision was in fact a good one as hawk-eye confirmed. There was nothing to blame the umpire for, as was done.
Bad decisions were Karthik and a (shocker) Ganguly.
It is time for reflection, not bitterness, blame-game, or, at any rate, deflecting criticism.
I don't follow either of these teams but I enjoy a good game. While I have no problem with Dravid's decision to bat a second time, I would have preferred he set England something they would be tempted to chase.
The best contests are those where both teams are still in it at the end, and captains should have the guts to take risks!
Complain about this post".. if England scores 170 without a wicket down by lunch tomorrow.."
I have seen a couple other articles with futile hopes still reflecting. Lets get real and facts straight -
1. A captains primary task is to win the SERIES and not a bonus game. So I completely agree with India on not enforcing the follow-on.
2. There could have been two possibilities - A) Demoralize England by batting on till 5th day. B) Take risk of burning the bowlers by enforcing follow-on (remember Kolkata).
3. No one has mentioned that Dravid and Co. has put a puzzle for Vaughan & Co - 'Do you have it in you?' Lets see the response. Considering the series is lost, (1-0 or 2-0 should not matter), I expect Vaughan to go all out for the win. At least, they'd gain some respect in 'going down with valor'.
So the question is - DO YOU HAVE IT IN YOU MR. VAUGHAN?
Complain about this postGuys just chill. Dravid's nature is 'Safety first!'. And in current situation when India is 1-0 up, he doesnt want to give that up.
Second and most imp point - Its a matter of couple of wickets....last day pressure, close in fielders and spin - seam combination....Eng cant last long....for sure...
Verdict
Eng innings - Match - Series : India
Eng 250 - 10
Kumble - 4
Sreesanth - 2
Zaheer -1
RP - 1
Tendulkar - 1
Ganguly - 1
And sorry forgot to mention : it will be over by tea max
Complain about this postDravid's decision to bat and not to enforce follow-on needs an enquiry and the way he batted and wasted time and brought India on the verge of losing a clear victory - have created many doubts in every cricket lover's mind. the game's repute is once again endangered. there are so many question marks ????????/
Complain about this postDespite being an India supporter, I have no hesitation in accepting that England clearly outplayed India on the fourth day.
In the morning, the last wicket pair hung around for longer than expected, England's seamers then gave India a serious jolt by grabbing three wickets for next to nothing, and, finally, the openers through saw the last 20 overs without a hint of difficulty.
I am, however, in full agreement with Dravid not enforcing the follow-on. His first and foremost duty was to ensure a series victory, and that he has effectively done, the fourth day hiccups notwithstanding. All this chatter about a negative mindset can, at best, be attributed to juvenile bravado - international cricket is a serious business, not quite The Charge of the Light Brigade - and Dravid has done what is best for his team, in ensuring that India is bowling, rather than batting, on the fifth day.
If England save the match, so be it - a 1:0 series result would, in my view, be a fair indication of the relative strengths of the two sides.
Complain about this postThe whole of England and in particular England team must have heaved a sigh of relief when Rahul Dravid decided not to enforce the follow on and instead opened a broad escape route to the England team. What happens on the fifth day on the field will be a different story.
Complain about this postCongrats India..You are assured of at least 1-0 series win in the series specially in English grounds..so no room for some pundits to comment on slow asian pitches, ground support etc...but for the spirit of the game Rahul & co. should have tried follow-on..forget tiring his own bowlers & fielding without a rest,Isn't a win of 2-0 is superior than 1-0 win?why not take a bit hazzle when all trump cards are in your favour?...oh my poor boy Jonathan Agnew what you feel now for weeks long preparartion for an enthusiastic boasting comments...England fans can dream...for how many more years?since when? Buddy take it easy & be realistic
Complain about this postWell done India. Everyone talks about why Dravid did not enforce a follow-on. Mind you folks if you'll really understand a bit of cricket then this decision was taken at the end of day 3 by the think tank. India wants to shut England of any possibilty and win the series. Years down the line the series win will be remembered after 21 long years and not the win ratio. Do not compare Australia to India as they win everywhere unlike India. All those folks who think England has a chance wake up from your slumber. Criticising players and captains have become order of the day for illiterate minds as these guys have never played sport in their life. If you do not understand then its better to shut your trap and watch the proceedings.
Complain about this postDravind's decision not to enforce follow on could have come on two factors.
1. The track was still very good to bat on while India is playing with only four specialist bowlers and they all were not consistent through out the day in the first inning.
2. Wear and tear of 5th day track. Perhaps, Indians are wary of 5th day track. In happens in past also. A meagre target of 120 or so looks very huge of day 5.
Moreover, when India are already ahead. Dravid wanted to play safe. It must be a collective decision.
Complain about this postThe golden opportunity was lost due to the stupid over defensive brain of captain Rahul Dravid who didnot dare to enforce follow on. Now the probability is draw as England have to just remain in crease to draw the series. I suppose our esteemed captain was feeling sorry for the England players for their series loss 2-0 to india. Anyways kudos to team India for their performance.
Complain about this postThe best from now on will be a win for either India(60%) or England (40%). Remember, the POMS are best when it comes to handling tough situations. Watching both the previous test matches, with the lights of AC, AS, MV, KP, IB and PC can definitely put up a fight. Never forget that this was the same team that made the Aussies run for their money a couple of years back.
Take this as a pratice match for the upcomin T20 WC. Go all guns blazing. U can do it man---afterall, u guys thaught us wat this wonderful game is all about.
Complain about this postExcellent. We have managed to take on unforced pressure and gifted England tons of spirit. Following on, 300 behind is a horrible feeling. Having to bat out a day and maybe try to get 454 runs on the final day to win a test and save the series is a challenge, and every batsmen's dream.
Dravid made a horrible, horrible decision. A part of me almost hopes that England chase the 500 in response to such a negative, terrible decision. I wasnt able to watch the cricket after I realized what Darvid had done.
Complain about this postA very cautious decision !
Complain about this postI think Dravid & Co. must have thought several times before coming to this final decision of not enforcing a follow on. It must have been a team decision , therefore, let's not put all blames on the captain. It was a tactical as well as a safe decision as far as team India is concerned. But the calculation seems to have worked against the team as they lost 3 quick wickets for just 11 runs. Any teams under the sky will get nervous in a situation like this . Dravid played to keep the one end intact and let other batsmen score which was the right thing to do under the circumstances for which he should not be critcised. What would have happened had he not been able to hold his fort intact ?
Declaring the 2nd innings close at 180 for 6 is a tricky challenge to the opposition. This again shows that Dravid & Co. are playing to win this particular test too.
The bowlers would be fresh and rejuvenated tomorrow to execute the final showdown and clinch the series 2-0 in India's favour. The real battle between the bat and the bowl will definitely unfold on the final day tomorrow to make this Oval Test a memorable one.Though the balance is tilted toward India for a 1 - 0 series win yet cricket is known for surprise results too.I would rather keep my fingers crossed until the very last over !
It looks like Dravid was playing for England on day 4.
Complain about this postBy Not enforcing the follow-on to get the best of seamer friendly conditions, when the opposition is totally down and out.
And the way he batted ,12 runs from 90 odd deliveries. Did'nt look he was in the driver's seat but was trying to save the game.
I am sure the indian fans would want to hear what went on in making the decision for India to bat again.
ONLY ONE PERSON WHO WILL SAVE POMS FROM DEFEAT WILL BE:
""THE MONTY""
STAYING ON ONE END ,AND IT WILL BE DRAW..
OR
KUMBLE TO FINISH 5/30 AND GO FOR GOLF AFTER 2.39PM..
THIK HAI JEE.....
SAMJE..
NAHI SAMJE..
JANE DO..POMS NO GOOD MATE..
WELL COME TO DOWN UNDER TO PLAY REAL CRICKET ON 26/012/07 ...
Complain about this postS'trewth Mate,
You better believe that the Poms are in with a shot. Might even have a little 'flutter' on the outcome.
Vaughan is not used to losing series at home (or any where else for that matter). Does Dravid know how to win? What was that 12 in 140mins all about? S'trewth. No wonder they call him 'The 'Wall'. He's barely alive!
If Vaughan and KP can give it the 'long-handle', who knows mate. History is bunk.
Now, I'm hoping my old opening partner JB's out there. C'mon JB.
Anyway, I'm off down to the Home Office. Gee, I wish I was a Pom.
Complain about this postThere is a lot of debate going on here on wether Dravid's decision was right or wrong in not enforcing the follow on and each person has his right of opinion,and most of the times the opinion is based on personality of the person( aggressive,safe etc etc).
But for a moment step into Dravid's shoes and imagine what has to loose or gain by such a decsion becasue he is the person who will be facing the music.
If Dravid had enforced follow on ( The clouds came later making the ball swing making his decsion look bad) . But if the clouds had not come and lets say Eng had wiped of lead by end of day with some inspired batting(No doubt,they have good batters) then Eng could have taken the lead of say about 100 runs. This would have given their bowlers a chance to have a go at Indian batsman and lets not forget India are bad at 4th innings batting.It would have given a chance to England to level series even if it was was a unrelaisitc chance,but we all know cricket is very unpredictable game. Why give them that remote hope???Why risk a 1-0 lead???? He got more to loose than gain if that had happened.o he played it safe shutting out out possibilities of an inspired comeback.
Complain about this postWhat must have weighed on Dravids mind is the Kollkaata 2001 test where Australia enforced a follow on and an inspired an inspired Laxman/Dravid turned the tables. I am sure he did not wish KP/MV inspired innings,especially when they were cornered. Australia had better bowlers but if a team has got nothnig to loose,it can play for everythnig to gain and nothnig to loose game and such games provide inspirational performances.
By shutting out England completely, Dravid ensured a)India wins series 1-0 b)India still has chance to win 2-0 c)No remote chance for any any inspirational performance from any English player. Fifty years laters all the scorebooks will say India won 1-0 and thats what counts.
For all those Indian fans criticising this decsion, lets not forget that today the India-Pak ODI statisitics read Pakistan won 64 and India 40 ODI till date. Whats not written in the records is atleast 20 ODI which pakistan won was in Sharjah where the umpires were biased in favour of Pakistan or the statisitcs would have been totally differnt.In a similar manner Dravid ensured that the scoreline would read atleast 1-0 in Indians favour and Statisitcs will show India won series in England
I agree with Dravids policy.
double ton for straussy. bell to hit the winning runs.
:-]
Complain about this postS'trewth, Mate.
I'm trying to get JB to come up from fine leg and field at silly point.
Re: Post No. 11.
Nagendra must be a fully paid up neo-Aristotelian. "Dravid's an ideal captain, but Ganguly is way better". How d'ya square that circle mate?
Here's how Aristotle would've gone about it. Dravid has become the best version of himself, and whether or not Ganguly has become the best version of himself, his current version is (way) better than Dravid's optimal version. That's bonzer, mate. Wicked!
And as for Rakesh (No. 93): do you want to be a Pom too. S'trewth. England with a 40% chance of pulling this off.
I love it. Gee, let's ALL become Poms!
Complain about this postFail to understand the Reasons for Dravid not enforcing the follow on.
Complain about this postWhat was he so scared of?
England getting 450 plus in their second innings
and then getting India out for less than 130 in a session and half.
What faith in your Bowlers AND your Batsmen.
If this is the mindset of our Captain when virtually sitting in the driver's seat, I feel sad for Indian cricket.
Dravids decision was simple. He closed doors on any inspirational miraculous performance any English player might be thinking about and England have a few players who are capable of it. After all Dravid has been there and done it himself (Kolkatta 2001 Ind-Aus test Dravid-Laxman inspired win after follow on).
We all know different people take different decisions in life and usuallu influenced most by our past experiences inlife. Dravid was correct in his decision because he did what he thought was best for his team. No doubt the 2001 test influenced his decision, but that’s exactly what we all do in life.Dont we???
We all take decisions on our past experience of a situation and we also do risk analysis and decide on how much and what we can risk. Dravid did not want to risk a 1-0 lead at any cost because an India win abroad is rare. There was too much to loose, if a miracle had been done by say KP or MV or anybody else . Dravid’s decision makes sure no miracles occur and I completely agree what he did.
The decsion ensure that there is not even 1% chance of 1-1 scoreline. A 1-0 win is better than risking a 1-1 scoreline in pursuit of greed of 2-0(we now have a chance of 2-0 but surely no 1-1 possibility exists now).
Complain about this postI consider the the series one all with this match the decider,the weather at lords saved the indians with a blatant LBW not given by bukcnor to srynath at the death!!!
Complain about this postThe second test was indias but this game is far from over in my book.India have a good side but will beat a second string england.As fro dravid i've never seen such a bad decision as his to not enforce the follow on.This shows his lack of confidence and bottle in his team and his waryness of england.I expect england to make dravid pay tomorrow by either drawing or winning the test and if that happens in my book the series would have been drawn!!!!!!!!
What is the minimum that will make
Mr. Dravid consider enforcing a Follow On, ever?
A lead of 500 followed immediately by a day of rain. The bowlers need Rest ya know!
Complain about this postWhat I didn't like was that the Indian commentator on TMS last night effectively wrote off Englands chances.
Where does this sort of talentless comment come from? Ok Englands chances are slim and to be honest our batsmen have really got to find form but if they do find it India are in serious trouble.
Collingwood, Bell and Cook all made a good 60+ in the first innings and could easily make a hundred now. Same goes for Vaughan - he has a knack of producing a captains innings when our backs are against the wall. Even Pietersen with all his consistency showed in the Ashes what he can do when the chips are down.
As long as the batmen take there time and show abit of dicipline theres no reason why we can't score to win.
Complain about this postits been a farce really, unlike many other sports, cricket still wanders in the dark ages. England should be a game up not down, rain saved india this series
Complain about this postspoiled the whole damn thing because india oare only 1 up by default, engald would have definatley won a game but for the weather
To all the Indian's complaining about Dravid'sd actions yesterday, get over yourselves. He did what he thought was right in trying to make sure India win this series. Winning the match would be great also, but losing it a disaster. As someone said earlier, it's because of 'fans' like these that Dravid had to play it safe; he's damned either way.
As for the England fans, quite frankly who cares what they think. It is not Dravid's job to give England a chance and liven things up for your team. If they'd batted anything like in this series they wouldn't need the help of the oppositon. You had your opportunity in the first teast and you well and truly blew it.
Rahul Dravid is a great player and an honest man. Any Indian that calls him a coward hasn't followed him or cricket for very long. (Can they actually be called fans???). England fans were very confident of winning the series at the start and Dravid and co have outplayed them for the majority of the 14 days of the series so far. Is that enough for some people? Apparently not, and Dravid should go. PATHETIC!!!!!!!!
Complain about this postSteve post 106.
Not sure how old you are Steve, or if this is the first series of Test cricket you've ever watched, but I think you need some pointers.
The series score is 1-0 to India. Weather is a part of this great game, and if you can't accept this I suggest you try another sport.
By this England '2nd team' I presume you mean the missing bowlers. Well, this Indian '2nd team' are missing a few themselves. You may not have heard of Munaf, Harbhajan and Ifran, but they really do exist and they're not playing.
As for Rahul Dravid, one of the greats of the modern game by the way, you may be right about his decision being negative, (although I disagree with you 100%), but he wants only one thing; India to win the series. He has apllied himself both as batsman and captain and is on the verge of a series win against the second rated team in the world. In their own backyard. If a few England batsmen had his steel, determination, will to win and his skill maybe you wouldn't be posting such an uneducated opinon on this blog.
Complain about this postRahul Dravid has shown that he is an extremely pessimistic captain. Not enforcing the follow on was a mistake and batting so slowly was just criminal. He should have shown trust in his bowlers and enforced the follow on, or atleast let his batsmen play to win. This kind of captaincy really discourages the team and brings down the team confidence.
Complain about this post"This mistake might cost them the one day series"
On top of this I really think that this kind of test cricket is history and is against the spirit of the game.
wot iz evry1 complaining about.just because england r loosing.if this was for the ashes, micheal vaughan would of done the same thing dravid did.
Complain about this postAny Indian that calls him a coward hasn't followed him or cricket for very long. (Can they actually be called fans???)
Some said the above. I agree completely.
Not only have they not followed cricket,they have no knowledge of cricket as a game and how unpredictable it can be.
Dravid took a decsion for the country to ensure that India wins 1-0 and no remote possibility of 1-1 exists. He knew he would be criticised heavily for not bieng sporting etc etc, but still he took a bold decsion at the cost of bieng criticised.
But a series win is a series win be it 1-0 or 2-0 does not matter.If the follow-on had been enforced and there had been even 1 single miracle performance from English side, the same so called Indian fans would have taken a U turn and said "why did not Dravid do the opposite? or " Why Did Dravid leave even a remote chance for england to square the series?". So Dravid was going to be criticised one way or other ,so why not take the safest route?He did exactly that.
Besides one should always respect and not underestimate the opposition and England are a very good test match team , not to be underestimated at any cost despite some bad performance in this series.
Why take unnecassry chances of loosing a 1-0 advantage. Now we got 3 sessions to take 10 wickets without remotely worrying of a loss. We still can go up 2-0 but voila 1-0 is assured.
Complain about this postEngland should go on and win this test ! then only indians will learn something out of it !!
It was a rediculous decision not to enforce follow-on. Dravid's decision not to enforce follow on suggests that he is not so confident about what his team can do. When India started their second innings they were sniffing the famous Indian Collapse. Thanks to Ganguly and the other lower order players. The way Dravid played shows the amount of confidence he has in his players.
Complain about this post2-0 to India looks a bit more likely outcome rather than 1-1.
It is quite difficult on the 5th day pitch even for the best team in the world to chase at over 5 per over for the entire 90 ovrs.
I think England will give it a go till KP is around and then try and shut shop.
Throughout the series, Vaughan has tried to bank on the fact that he has an "inexperienced" bowling line up etc etc. He seems to be overlooking the fact that although his bowlers might not have had an experience of bowling at international level, they still have been developed in these conditions so adaptation was never going to be a problem.
The Indian team, on the other hand, without a proper coach in place and not being quite used to the conditions has played remarkably well and am sure deserve this series victory.
Complain about this postDravid is not "The Wall" as is nicked named, but a Goalkeeper, whose only job, naturally, is to save the Goal(not letting the ball hit the stumps).
Time and again he has done his job so adroitly.
Players often are criticised ,as they age, for not being able to play the way and in manner they use to play during their youth, but this Indian is becoming more and more perfect in his own unique art(not rotating strike, letting bowlers build on pressure, making average bowling attack look formidable, creating ideal atmosphere for the other batting partner to grind and get frustrated, by denying him the strike, shaking confidence of yet to come batsmen), so he trully is "The Master of Goalkeeping Art in Cricket" and should be nicked as "The Goalkeeper".
That said , this batting attitude has denied India many wins in the past and is continuing to happen, with India playing Cricket for more than 60 years.
Batting is all about making runs, no matter what situation you are in, as an International cricketer you should atleast be able to rotate strike.
We can understand that sometimes situation and/or batting conditions are such that making runs and going for strokes become difficult, but here is where your capabilities are tested, being a batsman you should be able to take singles at a decent rate and not let the pressure build on to your team.
Is mr.Dilip Vengsarkar listening.
Complain about this postTo be honest, there is nothing much in the fourth day to be talked about. Whether it was India's performance in the past of letting down the series or the tiring bowlers specially Zaheer Khan with a thigh strain caused Dravid not to enforce follow on - it would be a secret to know what the real issue was.
I felt that the intensity in the approach was certainly lacking from the Indians. Ganguly played exceptionally well. I think it's the time before the plays resumes tommorow, the Indian players get together and remain more disciplined. Their body language and the intensity in their approach would set the tone for the day.
If their approach is same as it was on the fourth day although England win is very unlikely but yes their supporters would think they have chance to win here
Complain about this postEnglish fans have seen the final innings of the following four senior indian cricketes on english soil:-
Dravid
Tendulkar
Ganguly
Laxman
Dravid was playing safe and wants india to win the test series hence did not enforce the follow on besides his bowlers were tired and Khan was carrying an injury. Good Luck India.
Complain about this postRich Scales post 110.
I'm sure England have never been saved by rain, but this is how the game has been for hundreds of years. If you don't like it try another sport.
THE SCORE IS 1-0 TO INDIA PEOPLE, NO MATTER WHAT YOU MAY THINK.
(Was that loud enough for everyone to hear!!!)
Complain about this postDravid is not "The Wall" as is nicked named, but a Goalkeeper, whose only job, naturally, is to save the Goal(not letting the ball hit the stumps).
Time and again he has done his job so adroitly.
Players often are criticised ,as they age, for not being able to play the way and in manner they use to play during their youth, but this Indian is becoming more and more perfect in his own unique art(not rotating strike, letting bowlers build on pressure, making average bowling attack look formidable, creating ideal atmosphere for the other batting partner to grind and get frustrated, by denying him the strike, shaking confidence of yet to come batsmen), so he trully is "The Master of Goalkeeping Art in Cricket" and should be nicked as "The Goalkeeper".
That said , this batting attitude has denied us many wins in the past and is continuing to happen, with India playing Cricket for more than 60 years.
Batting is all about making runs, no matter what situation you are in, as an International cricketer you should atleast be able to rotate strike.
We can understand that sometimes situation and/or batting conditions are such that making runs and going for strokes become difficult, but here is where your capabilities are tested, being a batsman you should be able to take singles at a decent rate and not let the pressure build on to your team.
Is mr.Dilip Vengsarkar listening.
Complain about this postRahul Dravid made an extremely stupid decision to decide to bat again. Needing 319 just to make India bat again, England wud definitely have the pressure on them to draw the test. However, the pressure was on India wen they were 11-3, and thank god for Ganguly, Laxman and Dhoni to rescue India upto 180-6 after Dravid's painstaking innings. No other Test playing team wud have batted again, regardless of the conditions, other than India. If from here on they go on to lose the test, I dread to think of what will happen to the players' morale and their reputation across the world and in India.
Complain about this postHind sight is a lovely thing - with the whole world complaining about Dravid's decision. What would people had said if he had enforced the follow on, and on this true batting pitch England and got to 320-2. If that had happened England would have given India a run chase and made life difficult.
Complain about this postPoor decision by Dravid. Does he want a draw? If yes, then why declare, just bat on and on. If he wants to win, why not make England follow on.
Complain about this postThis decision has completely spoiled all the good work done in the last test and this one. And now the outcome of the match rests in England's hands. I would be more than happy to eat humble pie if India win this one. England should be able to bat out today and even get close to the target.
I am an indian fan and i am over the moon about their performance in this series.I must admit they made me a bit worried in the first test but they way they acme back in the second was amazing!
Complain about this postDon't think it will be that good in the one-dayers but hey u never know !..
India's decision not to enforce the follow on was logical from their point of view as they do not need to win.Seeing the way England batted in their first innings maybe they are confident they will bowl England out again. We will see
Complain about this postIf there were more people like Geoff Boycott on air, cricket would be a much more exotic and characteristic sport! Keep up the good work you are doing for the great sport of cricket.
Complain about this postExelent bowling by RP Singh.India go go we can win but a draw is fine . Vaughan will go soon by bye England..
Complain about this postDravind is an uninspiring and negative captain and thanks to him England are on their way to securing a draw in this third test.
A 2-0 series win is not only a lot more convincing than 1-0, but it also takes that 'luck' factor of the first test that the English find so comforting out of the equation.
Complain about this postTo my fellow Indian cricket fans,
Complain about this postYou are SO fickle! Just 2 days ago Dravid was a hero, and now he is a coward! To all those saying that the Indian team is not great for this reason, maybe the reason is that the fans don't get behind their team as Aussie or Pakistani fans do.I have no doubt that even Vaughan would have done the same. If you think he is very aggressive and plays positive cricket, why do you think they are not going for the win, and playing safe? Because he would rather lose 1-0 than 2-0. Similarly Dravid would have taken 1-0 happily rather than risk 1-1.
And to those English fans, finding excuses saying that England were missing 5 players, and this was second string team - that is a really tired old defence my friends! And not only that, it is demeaning to the 11 players out there on the field giving their 100%. So grow up and accept that for once England played a better team and lost.
Its not the end of the world!
@ Sachin
England fans who cling to the luck factor are silly if this truns out as a draw. Dravid's decision to play negative was based on the fact we are 1-0 up. Although it still doesnt take away from the fact it was a horrible, negative decision.
Complain about this postI agree with you. Dravid should have made England follow on. England could not bat for 2 days. If India had to bat 2nd innings, then I would have switched to ODI format of batting. Open with Ganguly and Sachin, followed by Dhoni,Dravid, Karthik, and so on. By then I think Dravid would have bagged the 2nd win. With the series already in the bag, Dravid could and shold have gone for another win.
Complain about this posti am bit disappointed in England and their approach to their 2nd innings. had they got to 200-220 in their first 50 overs an exciting chase could have been on. Vaughn is a very attacking captain with an excellent home record, surely he would want to preserve that and risk a thrilling series levelling win rather than be happy to lose the series 1 nil?
Dravid has shown his absolute fear of losing this match however unlikely by batting again so an attacking opening two sessions from England may just have pushed the field back and make it easier for eng to get the draw if the win was not on but as it stands now India can have as many men as they want around the bat hence building more pressure.
if Eng are playing for the draw without even thinking of winning then i hope the batsmen tried to find 15 mins yesterday to have a chat with Mike Atherton who batted for 10 hours against Donald and Co in Jo'Burg in 95.
PS - Wouldnt it have been better to have a triangular 1 day tournament with the Windies here already when India arrived and have all the test matches in August??
would have made for more interesting 1 day cricket
Complain about this postI thought Test Match cricket was for the best players not a development programme. So why are out of form players kept in the team whilst they rebuild their form? In no sport do you use important competitive matches for training. I am thinking of most of the batsmen and Matt Prior
Surely out of form players should go back to their counties or take time off. They can then give time to properly sort out their technique away from the pressure of a test match. That would then allow in form (young) players to get their chance to prove themselves at the highest level.
By the Way when I talk about young - I mean players around 19-24 not under 30! If they are good enough they are ready - in most other sports they come through to the highest level much younger than in cricket: Tiger Woods, Jonny Wilkinson, Wayne Rooney, Craig Pickering...
Complain about this postgoochy goes on about foster...but hang about, what about ben scott of middlesex? what great glovesmanship and can bat. he stands up the wuickies with great confidence, bats well lower down. prior is a joke, his batting is mediocre and his keeping is shoddy. drop him. but seriously look at scott
Complain about this postWhy am I not surprised that there has been NO mention about the quality of umpiring in this game? Is it because all the bad decisions went against indias way...
Complain about this postI think India will still win (as I write England are 126 for 2), but it will be in spite of Dravid rather than because of him.
Complain about this postDear Men in the Box,
Complain about this postDepressing to be reminded by you before lunch that today is the last day of test cricket this summer. And we're still in the first half of August.
Put this alongside a first test series which begins before the Tourists are adequately prepared for it in mid-May and the heart of the summer is torn out to accommodate the Twenty20 jamboree. Serious cricket lovers are being short-changed by the cricketing authorities. I've always thought of soccer with its inroads at either end that poses the main threat to our summer game. But now I think it is the Enemy Within and the pursuit of 'the mighty dollar' which is eroding our season and our game.
John Batstone
"Rahul Dravid's decision not to enforce the follow-on was extremely defensive and negative. I bet the Australians would never ever have done something so stupid."
Really? Australia chose not to enforce the follow-on against England in the recent Ashes. In fact, Australia has only enforced the follow-on about 14 percent of the time in the last few years. So if you've lost your bet.:)
Complain about this postI am fine with the decision of not enforcing the follow-on. However, Dravid should have shown the intent that he still very much wanted to win the match. May be he should have send Dhoni to bat at number three. Then if India lost quick wickets, there was a better arguement for defensive batting. At least he would have shown the intent.
Same can be said for England. They should have started the fifth day with the intention to win the match in stead of first making sure of the draw. After all, the drwa suits India better than England.
Complain about this postThere's something unsatifactory about the number of draws in Test cricket..... I wonder if they could be avoided if each team were deemed to have won or lost each innings. For example in this match, India won the first innings, and if as seems likely will draw the second, they would win the test because they would have one innings and a draw against England's lost first innings and second innings draw.It would give England less insentive to save the game, by playing for a draw, instead they would have to win the second innings to achieve a draw.
Complain about this postA gutless decision by Rahul Dravid. Playing not to lose is a sick mentality that ends up costing games and player moralle. Pathetic performance by India, waste of time and money.
Complain about this postI fail to understand the criticism for not enforcing the follow-on by Dravid. People; please cut him some slack! I fully agree with Dravid not enforcing the follow-on. He did not have to. The onus is on England to win the test, not Dravid & Co. to make the match interesting. Dravid was just playing to his teams strengths and how the pitch was still good. Let's go back to the beginning of the series when India's bowling attack was percieved as weak. Let's face it, the Indian bowling attack is not as spectacular but so what! Winning is about playing to your strengths, and not about being spectacular. When it is time for being spectacular India will know it.
Complain about this postBel and Prior are greater than God
Complain about this postIngerlund, Ingerlund... face it Indian supporters, you're lucky to win this series. Rain came to your rescue in the first test and the series should really have been a draw.
Complain about this posti dont know what all the fuss is about, Dravind not making England follow on. any captain with 4 great players in twilight of their career would never take the risk when he on th verge of doing something that hasnt been dont by a team in over 30 years. also the fact that india have so many times gone one up and then drawn the series must be playing on Dravid`s mind. if i was in his place i would have enforced the follow on ifi had Mcgrath Warne Wasim and Waqar in my bowling line up other wise on this pitch i would rather commit suicide than enforcing follow on....so Bravo India Bravo Dravid...
Complain about this postEngland were quiet lucky to evade a 2-0 defeat, courtesy KP. I feel Indian bowlers didnot try and give there best, bit of extra effort by them then i am sure India would have pocketed this match with ease.
Complain about this postI think England cricketers has to play a bit maturely when playing a quality team like India. Are we looking at 7-0 victory for India in the one day series, well i expect to see some good fight back from English side.
always good to read this column jonathan so please keep it going. who is your tip for breaknig the england "most 100s" record out of the current lot, if any. Vaughan seems to have stalled but at the rate KP is going i figure he might get there first. Its surely time someone did isn't it, 22 wouldn't rate more than about 5 or 6th on australias all time list now?
Complain about this postHighlight of the Series
Demolition of Sachin Tendulkar by J A
Its sound still resonates in my ear
Complain about this postThough a fantastic batsman, Dravid lags Ganguly as an inspiring leader. His two decisions are too negative for leader even of the winning side.
Complain about this post1. NOT to follow on England - he played it "safe" rather than taking any chance to be "sorry" later. This is not a good decision, though to be fair to Dravid, it was a cumulative decision by Indian team management.
2. Where Dravid portrays a worse picture of a leader was the 96 ball innings scoring just 12 runs. It's too bad for a captain to send such negative signals to his fellow team members. Especially when his ex-boss Ganguly was playing a spirited innings.
As a cumulative effect, India ultimately fell short of time to bundle out England, thanks to some great batting display from English batsmen.
I would like to end my note with one more point. This third test was played more as a gentleman's game than the second one. I would respect players of both sides to play this kind of competitive but sportsman like game.
Finally, thanks to ´óÏó´«Ã½ as usual for its superb service to its readers (I live in US). Kudos.
We have had Sir Gary Sobers but once!!
Complain about this postWe could have had more fun if Dravid had gone for Follow On.
But his bottom line was to ensure a Series Win not entertainment for the crowd!
It was sad to see Sachin bat so tentatively & defensively.....
Complain about this postI miss the domineering style in which he used to dispatch the bowling, so much so that the bowlers were at a loss when he was at the crease.
He should have retired on a high, not dragged on to this stage where he seems so vulnerable to ordinary bowling...so lucky to play in the era of helmets...
What Rahul Dravid did is right. There is no question about. Talking and comenting is different than actually being in Dravid's shoes.
Complain about this postGood thinking Dravid.
Dilip Kumar P