What are the best tactical changes made by a captain of a cricket team, and why were they effective?
The game of cricket is the viewer’s favourite game to watch, many a time I wonder what is so special about the game? What makes cricket so interesting? Is that because of the players, coaches, brand advertisements, or people who have fallen in love with their iconic cricketers? These topics are no doubt one of the main points to make cricket the most loved sport but the actual reason lies within “Tactics” and secondly on strategy. Yes, tactics play a fundamental role in winning any game. So, we are going to discuss some of the best tactical changes that were made by the captains that gave their team the crown of winners!
When it comes to tactics how can we forget our Saurav Dada? In one game, that changed the destiny of Indian cricket, one of India's greatest captains, Saurav Ganguly, and his 3 tactical masterstrokes. India and England played in a four-match test series in England in 2002. India was losing 1-0 at the outset of the third test in Headingly. Everyone predicted that India would leave the series here and there. Yet Ganguly made some unorthodox tactical choices that finally earned India its greatest win outside the sub-continent ever. Some of his tactical changes are given below:
Choosing first in overcast weather to bat.
In the fading sun, continue to bat.
Choosing 2 spinners and keeping a seamer out.
Saurav Ganguly sent Laxman to No. 3 in place of Dravid in the 2001 Kolkata test against Australia, when India was asked to pursue Australia. In the first innings, Laxman played well by scoring 59 runs and becoming the last man out. The strategy for Ganguly was that Laxman knew the pitch well and could stop the dropping of wickets. Laxman replied beautifully and played 281 epic innings and had an unforgettable collaboration with Dravid, who scored 180. India walked ahead and earned the tie.
How can someone forget our dear captain cool Mr. Dhoni and ever-energetic Mr.ViratKohli? Many times their planning, strategical coordination has defeated the opponent team. It was only the Indian cricket team who were on the seventh cloud but whole India had tears of happiness when we won the World Cup! The Change of Strategies of MS Dhoni Helped Virat Kohli to Recover Form. West Indies wicket-keeper batsman Denesh Ramdin remembered the moment when MS Dhoni had changed his tactics to help Virat Kohli recover his form from battle. Virat Kohli was struggling to find form during the 2014 India tour of England and had only managed to score 134 runs in 5 games at an average of 13.40. In 538 matches he has scored 17,266 runs, 16 centuries, and 108 fifties for team India, MSD has impressive numbers. Back in 2014, the former Indian team skipper retired early from Test cricket. In red-ball cricket, he made 90 appearances to score 4876 runs.
One more incidence where tactical changes became the ultimate game-changer in the case of Stuart Broad. Stuart Broad reveals that his game has taken a tactical shift to a, “very exciting stage”. He seeks to threaten the stumps to make batsmen hit the ball as soon as possible, said Stuart Broad. After leading England to a huge 269-run victory against West Indies in the third test, pacer Stuart Broad said he did some tactical practice, adjusted his run-up, and tried to make the batsmen play as much as possible, eventually improving his game. He mentioned that he hoped he was bowling as good as he has ever been. In the last 18 months, he had done some technical practice and improved my run-up. He was targeting the stumps and trying to play as well as possible with the batsmen”. Broad was awarded the Player of the Series award after skipping the first Test against West Indies when he clinched 16 wickets in the remaining two games. In the third test, he chose 10 wickets that helped England win the match as well as the three-match test series.
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