Playing a Test

Strategy during an Innings.

Team Strategy

INNINGS

WHAT HAPPENS

FIRST

Team A wins the toss and elects to bat. They go out and bat for an unlimited number of overs. The innings continues till all 10 wickets of team A are out OR

Until the captain of team A feels that he has scored a very good total and it will be difficult for his opposition to chase the score. In this case he declares the innings at a suitable score irrespective of the wickets fallen.

SECOND

Now for the second innings of the match, team B comes out to play and outscore A. Team B has 3 landmarks to achieve. The first is to get a total of 200 less than team A's score to avoid " Follow On". The next landmark to cross is the opposition's team's score.

Once they do that, they now try to score as many runs above team A's total. If they score 200+ runs extra, they are in a good position.

THIRD

Assuming that Team B has avoided follow on, Team A bats again. In the 3^rd innings, Team A has to try and score as many runs as he can. If he is 'deficient' ie. Team B has scored more runs in the 1^st innings than his, then he has to knock off those extra runs and attain a large target.

A	268	Difference is 129 runs; so for the 3rd innings he has to make up those 129 run deficiency and then continue ahead.
B	397

FOURTH

Team B now has to chase the target set by A. This target is the sum of A's two innings subtracted by his first innings. eg.

A	268	Team B has to chase 282 runs to win the match (268 + 410)-397 +1 to win the match.
B	397
A	410

Negative Bowling

As compared to test matches, rules for wides and no-balls are lenient. The margin for error for wides are more in Tests. This means the the ball can pass the batsman further away from his body, as opposed to an ODI before it is declared a wide.

A bowler can bowl two bouncers (balls bouncing over the batsman's head), in an over. If a bowler bowls continuously down the leg-side, then it is called Negative Bowling. In ODI's this is a Wide.

Top

The Night Watchman

Many a time, a team bowls out the opposition before the close of play for the day. The team, then loses a wicket or two an hour or two before play ends. Instead of wasting a good batsman scheduled to bat next in poor light, the team sends out a Night Watchman to bat 'overnight' till the next morning.

The Night-Watchman usually bats at No 7 or 8. He is not expected to score many runs, but just occupy the crease, and not get out. The runs that he scores are bonus to the team.

Top

If on the 2, 3 or 4th day a result is possible (a win), then the winning team can request the umpires to extend the time at the end of the day by 30 minutes. This does not apply to the 5th day.

Unlike ODI's where it is a batsman's game and runs are expected to be scored and quickly, Tests are slow, and bowlers get a better deal in bowling. That's why it is a Test, between batsman and bowler. Time spent on the crease is more important than balls faced by batsmen.


Test Cricket		First Class

Top