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England's strategy for the fourth day: draw or win?

Roar Guru
23rd November, 2013
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Peter Siddle celebrates a wicket. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
Roar Guru
23rd November, 2013
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Now that two days are remaining in the first Test and England still need 536 runs to win with eight wickets remaining.

It can be said that the game is over for the visitors.

However the eternal optimist would love the English to put up a fight.

And that includes die hard Aussie fans too who would want their side to win yet will also want to see a tough match.

Now it is a big dilemma for Alastair Cook as to whether they should bat for a win or a draw. Both are tough.

But still he has to make a decision.

If they go for a draw, they would require batsmen with tight techniques who can hold fort for two days i.e. for a minimum 180 overs.

And for that purpose the two batsmen who would have to play a major role will be the captain himself and Ian Bell.

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These two are the best batsmen in the English camp when it comes to shutting out everything and bat with a dead bat.

Also with the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Joe Root, Matt Prior they surely have their chances to save the Test. And Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann are also quite capable with the willow.

Even Tremlett and Anderson also don’t give their wickets easily and try and hang in there.

Having said that most modern day batsmen find it tough to save a Test match when they aim for it right from the start of the innings.

They do play well even if there is the slightest glimmer of hope for a win. However most find it tough if they have to put the anchor from the first ball itself.

Also Pietersen is a class batsman when England aim to win and not when they aim for a draw. Also one has to remember that the match is played at the Gabba where the wicket is quite bouncy.

In any case it would be really tough to draw when you have to bat for two days.

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And in addition to that if you have to bat at the Gabba it is even tougher.

So the other option for Cook would be to aim for a win. Now here they would have to play session by session.

537 to get in six sessions means 90 in one session.

If one looks at it that way it looks quite possible.

And if England manage to keep wickets in hand by the end of the fourth day, we may well have an exciting match on hand.

And also if they can do that with wickets in hand, it gives them the option to decide whether to go for a draw or a win at the start of the fifth day’s play.

However it is a lot easy to say that sitting here.

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And I can assure you that from the first hand experience I had a few days back when an inter-departmental cricket tournament was held by my employers.

It is so tough to face hostile fast bowling. And the Australian pace battery awaits the Englishmen.

Let’s see what happens and enjoy the Sunday.

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