As a test match spans over a tedious period of 5 days, declaration of an innings plays an extremely crucial role in shaping up the destiny of a game. A wrong call can lead to a devastating fate that will leave your team unfurled in a matter of split seconds while perfect calls can win you the game before you expect.
We will look at five controversial declarations in the history of Test cricket that either cost the captain a sure victory or drew considerable flak from the public due to the sheer bad timing of the call.
- South Africa versus Australia, 2006, Sydney Cricket Ground
Australia was cornered in the first innings as the mighty Proteas mounted a mammoth total of 451 for 9 when the visitors declared. Thanks to some blistering batting from Kallis and Prince and a late cameo from Shaun Pollock helped the South Africans claim the driver’s seat. To add to their merry, Andre Nel’s fiery spell that claimed 4 scalps in the Australian innings bundled out the Australians for a modest 359, thereby giving a 92-run lead to the visitors.
South Africa came out to bat again and in surreal circumstances declared their innings at 164 for 6. Though Smith hoped for their bowling to fire in better ways than the first innings, that department of South Africa ended up in an utter fiasco. Australia chased the runs within 61 overs, thanks to some phenomenal batting from Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting to help the hosts cross the line.
- West Indies versus England, 1968, Port of Spain
This test match was a curious case of two weird declarations that did cost the Caribbeans dearly. After batting first, Indies posted a monumental total of 526 for 7 when they declared. Seymour Nurse and Rohan Kanhai smashed blistering centuries to challenge the visiting English side.
Though finally falling short against a formidable West Indies bowling line up, England did manage to stagger to 404 before being finally bundled out. West Indies came out to bat and under weird circumstances, Gary Sobers decided to call his batsmen back at a meagre score of 92 for 2, thereby leaving England to chase a modest 215.
With just five hours of play remaining, it seemed considerable at that point in time for the West Indians to secure a comfortable draw and even in the best-case scenario press their opponents for a win. Unfortunately, it was the visitors who went for the kill as John Edrich and Geoffrey Boycott went off to a flyer as they made their winning intentions extremely clear.
After the dismissal of Edrich, Colin Cowdrey reached the crease and amplified their attacks exponentially as England successfully chased down the modest total to hold Gary Sobers at gunpoint for his poor acumen.
- India versus England, 2009, Chennai
Despite being in the driver’s seat for more than four days of the test, India had the last laugh against a meaty England under the chaperonage of Kevin Pietersen.
In response to England’s 316 in the first innings, India was packed and stowed for a modest total of 241. Trying to build on to the lead, the English batsmen summed up a painstaking 311 for 9 before Kevin Pietersen called them back to pave the way for England’s victory.
With 387 to win, India was a completely different side in the fourth innings as Sehwag and Gambhir put their feet early on the gas and their aggressive knocks consorted with a brilliant ton from the Little master and a lovely 85 from Yuvraj Singh to crush the English hopes of resurgence away from their homeland.
- West Indies versus Australia, 1988, Perth
This was an absolutely crazy call from the Australian captain, Allan Border whose weird decision of calling his team back to the gallery even before they paralleled the first innings score of West Indies. With West Indies posting a mammoth total of 449 in the first innings, Border called back his teammates when they staggered at 395 for 8.
Building on the lead of the first innings, West Indies smashed 349/9 and Sir Vivian Richards called it a day and put Australia to bat.
The first innings decision of Border to declare prematurely, backfired for the hosts as they were bundled out for a meagre 234.
Curtly Ambrose with valuable cameos from Malcolm Marshall and Patrick Paterson raked the Australian side inside out as their heroics with the ball thrashed Australia in the latter’s own backyard.
- India versus Pakistan, 2004, Multan
This is a rare occasion in which Rahul Dravid’s hasty decision of declaring the innings drew major flak from the entire nation as that needlessly averted a double-century from Sachin Tendulkar despite the master blaster staying unbeaten just a mere 6 runs from his coveted for deeper triple figures.
India was cruising since day 1 as Sehwag fired home a phenomenal 309 to start the innings with. He was helped by Akaash Chopra and Yuvraj Singh’s brief spells at the crease. However, there was another man who was slowly heading into his double centuries, namely Sachin Tendulkar.
Out of nowhere, Rahul Dravid felt the urge to declare the innings leaving Tendulkar in utter disbelief as India called it a day at 675 for 5. Though the decision of Dravid pulling the curtains on what could have a glittering double century, Tendulkar had to be sated with an unbeaten 194.
Pakistan could only manage 407 in their first innings and followed on scoring 216 runs before once again being razed down by the might of the Indian bowlers.
