Test match performance
I thank you for your editorial on 'Test match performance against India' dated January 28, 2010 and am glad to note your comments on the performance of our players. While some players displayed character at Chittagong, the match at Dhaka was a fiasco and our cricketers caved in without much of a fight against the mighty Indians. A Test match is distinctly different from the shorter versions of the game. In a Test match you have the time to study each ball and deal with it on its merit. Shots are played so that the ball kisses the ground and if possible reach the fence. A Test player's job is to occupy the crease and let runs come in singles and twos and a boundary when there is a bad ball on offer. You were so correct to write that 'aggression can never be a substitute for technique in Test cricket'. Sunil Gavaskar was heard repeatedly saying that the difference between a huge six and a boundary played along the ground is only two runs, but the risk factor is 100% more in the case of a six. When Skipper Shakib came to the crease in the second innings at Dhaka and lifted a huge six in the first ball he faced, all Test cricket lovers were shocked. As if that was not enough he lifted another only to be caught and brought about the ruination of his team and country. With nearly two days of cricket left, the skipper should have led from the front by staying at the wickets and coxing his players to refrain from hitting lofty, risky shots. If our team likes to remain a Test playing side they have to apply the time proven techniques of Test cricket and not mix it up with the shorter versions of this wonderful game.
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