Strategy…(part 2)

The facts –

• India currently lead by 193 runs.
• Weather permitting, we may get 55 more overs today, according to CricInfo.
• Kumble is unlikely to bowl today, but we still have 4 bowlers + Tendulkar.
• Bangladesh batted 68 overs in their first innings, but were 8 wickets down  in the 48th over at one stage.
• Batting on the 5th day pitch will not be as easy.

Taking all this into consideration, when should India declare? I reckon India should play just 8 overs. We should get the lead to around 230-240 and then declare. It would give us 45 overs to get them out.

If the match doesn’t start till 2:30pm – we should just declare at the overnight score. (Bangladesh requiring 194 in around 47 overs? – Game on!)

The result of the game is still very likely to be a draw, but it is worth trying…

Your thoughts?

-Mahesh- 

An Opportunity missed!

After having brought Bangladesh down to 149 for 8, India seems to squandered a wonderful opportunity to win this test despite the loss of almost 2 days of play so far. The lack of adequate penetration in bowling (and with the absence of Kumble from the attack), does not give us much hope for a win tomorrow. I will be happy to be proven wrong! The bits and pieces of the day’s play that I witnessed, the bowling was woefully mediocre.  Once again, Tendulkar seems to have been the only one who impressed the most in his short spell after the follow on was avoided. The bowling department, as I have said earlier, requires some serious fixing before the England tour.

Hopefully, Kumble is back tomorrow, and by scoring some quick runs, he is provided with an opportunity to bowl Bangladesh out. A possibility or wishful thinking?

– Srikanth