Let me be crystal clear that the match officials followed protocols to the letter for abandoning play on Sunday night. They did everything right.
Yet I still can’t shake the feeling that cricket shot itself in the foot by playing by the rules. In situations like that, I just wish there was some flexibility and that the players didn’t have to be back on the field by 6.42pm.
Forty minutes before that cut-off time, umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Ahsan Raza went to the ground staff to ask them whether they could have the ground ready for a resumption. There was a lot of rain — and the more covers you put on, the more you have to take off, meaning the mop-up takes longer — so the groundsman quite rightly said no. Again, Lee Fortis did nothing wrong.
Yet if there had been delays earlier in the day and the close had been put back to 7.30pm, that time would have come with the possibility of an extra half-hour if a result could be achieved.
That’s why I would like to see the playing conditions changed so that at 6.42pm, if the umpires believe a result can be achieved, that offer could be made to both sides.
We had a full house of 26,500, we’re trying to sell this game of cricket and this thrilling Test series needed a finale on a Sunday night, not on a Monday morning when people will be at work — though there will be another sellout on day five.
The match officials certainly followed protocols to the letter by abandoning play on Sunday
Yet I still cannot shake the feeling that cricket shot itself in the foot by playing by the rules
Had there been earlier delays, the scheduled close of play could have been extended to 7.30pm
Of course, both teams would have to agree, because you can’t be creating an unfair advantage for one over the other. If you had gone to the England team and they said: no, they were all over us there for the last hour, we’ll come back tomorrow, thanks. Fine.
If you had gone to the Indian team and they countered: hold on, our seamers are absolutely exhausted, they need a night’s rest. Fine.
But if both teams had said yes, then inserting that common sense clause would be, well, sensible.
The finale of this wonderful drama deserved to be on a weekend, in sunshine beyond 7pm, with loads of people watching.
It will still be a magnificent series, of course, and who knows what finale is in store for those that have tickets for day five.
There may still be a twist and a turn, with Chris Woakes going down the stairs, to emulate Malcolm Marshall, swinging from his back side, one-handed.
At one point, it didn’t look like it was going get to that stage because England were flying towards their 374-run target, with Harry Brook and Joe Root making it look easy.
They were almost coasting, but fair play to India, coming back as they did after tea from a position of being down and out.
That’s why I would like to see the playing conditions changed so that at 6.42pm, if the umpires believe a result can be achieved – that offer can be made to both sides
We’re trying to sell this game of cricket and this thrilling Test series needed a finale on a Sunday night, not on a Monday morning when people will be at work
England are chasing a target of 375 runs and need just 35 runs to win on Monday morning
To put in that hour, in which they dismissed Jacob Bethell and Root, shifting all the momentum, was truly magnificent.
Suddenly, from nowhere, the ball was swinging and seaming. How they could dig so deep and come right back at England, goodness knows. Mohammed Siraj epitomises such effort and I guarantee he won’t stop until that final run is done.
It was the dismissal of Brook that opened the door for India, but to people questioning his choice of shot, let me remind them that he got 111 because he plays shots like that.
Charging and hitting over extra cover gets him a shedload of runs. It’s one of his shots. If he had played a reverse scoop — not one he plays much — different story.
But the charge down the wicket is partly the reason why he’s got 10 Test hundreds in 50 innings, and why England can still win the game.
