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Shying away from success

The decision to not enforce the follow-on predictably dominates coverage of day four. James Lawton in the Independent touches on it at some length, before segueing into praise for India's three batting superstars (Laxman being, as he so often is, overlooked in the shadows).

Dravid had no such option yesterday. He merely refused to enforce the follow on, out of fear that somehow crisis might spring at his throat late today if the home side somehow managed to come back after trailing by 319 runs on first innings. Dravid simply was not interested in such a possibility. Time was for him the immediate enemy, and if not a dire threat, certainly a shadow over a campaign which had been marked by a gathering determination to assert talent that too often in the past had been easily patronised as brilliant but, ultimately, just a little too frail.

Also in the Independent, an unsigned column looks at the choices before England's selectors and coach as they prepare for upcoming missions: look backward, or move forward?

And finally from the Independent, there is Angus Fraser on the day's play, and India's decision:

India would have enforced the follow-on had they needed a victory to win the series, but Dravid opted to give his bowlers a rest and put the Test out of England's reach before trying to win it. The decision may not have been the most positive ever made, and the way in which Dravid subsequently batted suggested that he was more intent on avoiding defeat than winning, but his primary duty is to ensure that his side leave here as series victors.

England's fans vented their frustration by slow hand-clapping. But it was hard to have too much sympathy; this is the same crowd that cheered in the 2005 Ashes whenever the players left the field for bad light. As with England in 2005, India's objective was to avoid defeat.

Mark Nicholas, in the Telegraph, has this to say:

Hampshire won last week, easily. India may win here but yesterday was a follow-on morning for fresh bowlers. By taking his second innings immediately, Dravid allowed England the luxury of two things. First, fewer overs and a finite time to bat to save the game. Second, the chance to bowl India out for next to nothing and dream of winning it with a thrilling run chase. Clearly, England were buoyed by these thoughts and came skipping out to play some of the best cricket in the match. In contrast, India's batsmen were nonplussed by the challenge of batting again with a lead of 320 already in the bag. They couldn't get up for it and were suddenly three down.

Dravid had thrown the dice at a negative, the denial of any chance for England to win the game, and they so nearly rebounded on him. He will tell us he was giving his own team the best chance of winning the game by bowling last on a worn pitch, but that's spin and not of the Kumble kind. This was a needs-must decision from the perspective of one-up in the series with just a couple of days left of it to play.

This is how desperate India are. You could see it in the captain's face as he tortured himself through 96 balls for 12 runs. His only thought was the ticking clock. The longer he could hang on, the closer the series win became. One day he will admit this but not now, not when the world is there to be his enemy if it so chooses. Secretly, there was something to admire in Dravid's hard-nosed approach but not quite enough to vindicate it. Only another win and two-nil victory will do that.

India in the United Kingdom 2007

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