5 Controversial declarations in cricket history
We have seen too many cases in the past of both such instances where captains have gone out of their way to ensure we get a result by doing sporting declarations.
1. When Rahul Dravid left Sachin Tendulkar stranded for 194
The mother of all declarations! One that proceeded to rake up a furore. It was the first Test of the three-match series during India’s historic tour of Pakistan in 2004. Virender Sehwag had already dazzled his way into the record books courtesy his whirlwind 309 and Master Blaster was also looking primed for his maiden double-hundred on Pakistan soil.
Except for Indian captain, Rahul Dravid had other ideas. Dravid, who felt that India needed to make a statement that they were here for a win, decided to draw curtains on the innings, leaving the Master stranded at 194 not-out. India eventually went on to win the Test by an innings & 52 runs after they bowled Pakistan out for 407 and 216 respectively, but the biggest point of the game remains Dravid’s declaration.
Years later, Sachin Tendulkar reminisced about exactly what has transpired that day in his autobiography: Playing it my way. Tendulkar revealed that it was decided in the dressing room that they would play a further 15 overs in the post-Tea session before putting Pakistan in.
Tendulkar did score at a fair clip-29 run in 35 balls- but he was left aghast when 12th man Ramesh Powar came up with the second and final message in the 14th over, asking the Master to get to his double hundred quickly as Dravid is about to declare. Tendulkar did not get to play a single ball of that over as Yuvraj Singh played out the first four deliveries before getting out on the fifth, post which Dravid signaled his players to come back.
A bitterly disappointed Sachin headed back to the dressing room and while he assured Rahul that the incident will not have any bearing on the field but off the field, he made it perfectly clear that he’d prefer to be left alone.
“I assured Rahul that the incident would have no bearing on my involvement on the field, but off the field, I would prefer to be left alone for a while to come to terms with what had happened,” Tendulkar wrote in the book.
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