5 instances of players wasting time on Day 5 of a Test match

Cricket is widely regarded as a gentleman’s game meaning thereby that the players are expected to uphold the values like ethics and sportsmanship and put them before the result of the game.

The co-operative and accommodative aspect of cricket is a significant feature which separates this game from other competitive sports like baseball, football or hockey. Thus, in order to ensure fairness of the game, the players are trusted to compete within the bounds of integrity, honour and other similar virtues.

Be that as it may, cricket is still a competitive a sport and expecting players to sacrifice a match in order to champion the cause of righteousness would be unrealistic. There have been many instances where many cricketers have made departure from these highly admirable virtues in order to save a match for their team. Many of these players were accused of bringing the game into disrepute through various dishonest tactics.

One of the most controversial tactics is deliberately wasting time on the final day of a Test match in order to save the game. Views regarding the fairness and justifiability of such a tactic are highly variable. Many experts and pundits believe that wasting time using such antics is justifiable while others believe that such instances bring ignominy to this coveted sport.

Here are 5 instances where players deliberately wasted time on the final day of a Test match:

1. Niroshan Dickwella- India vs Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, 2017

Perhaps in the most infamous of all the incidents, Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella riled up the Indian audience and players alike with his deliberate time wastage during the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens in November 2017.

After being outplayed for the initial couple of days, India bounced back strongly and left the Sri Lankan team in tatters. During the last session of the game, the Indian team needed eight wickets for the victory as their southern neighbours were reduced to 8-2 when Dickwella took the matter into his own hands.

He pointed out a no-ball to the umpire due to the presence of more than permissible fielders behind square leg. After this, he engaged in a deliberate banter with the Indian pacer Mohammed Shami which culminated in a heated exchange of words from both the sides. Furthermore, his partner Dasun Shanaka called the physio and killed even more time.

Interestingly, the wicket-keeper batsman conceded that he deliberately wasted time on the final day in order to save the match. He explained the manner and the chain of events which helped him kill time during the last session. However, the matter was put to rest when the Indian captain made peace with the issue and said that he was happy to move on from the incident.

2. James Anderson and Monty Panesar- England vs Australia at Cardiff, 2009

Another particularly disturbing incident of intentional time wastage in cricket was witnessed during the opening Ashes Test at Cardiff in July 2009. Sent into bat in a precarious situation, tailenders Monty Panesar and James Anderson found themselves struggling against the Australian bowling attack.

England were reeling at 233-9 and were facing the likes of Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson when the last-wicket pair took charge. Both of them held on for about 40 minutes to salvage a draw from the jaws of an imminent defeat.

However, the manner in which they spent those minutes at the crease was questionable. The 12th man was repeatedly sent to the players with just three overs left to play. Even the physio Shafayat was sent on the field to Anderson to change his gloves.

The repeated interruption of the game and the convenient timing of the incidents made it quite clear that the intended purpose was nothing other than wasting precious time of the game. The fact that Anderson changed his gloves in two consecutive overs only made the matter worse. The Australian captain was visibly annoyed at such unbecoming behaviour and minced no words while expressing his displeasure at his counterparts’ misconduct.

3. Stuart Broad- England vs Australia at Trent Bridge, 2013

The opening Ashes Test at England in 2013 somehow turned Stuart Broad into an unprecedented hero for his team and a supervillain for the rest of the world. His conduct during the whole matched earned the scrutiny and criticism of players, experts and audience around the world. One of the most infamous incidents was his premeditated time wastage during the same match.

Finding himself in peril against the deadly Australian assault, Broad bent down and starting tying his shoelaces. However, unlike any other person, he took his sweet time fixing up his shoes causing annoyance among the already fired up team from the land Down Under. He kept on tying his shoes for what seemed like an eternity for the whole audience.

The fact that in the previous innings, he has refused to go back after nicking a delivery, thus taking advantage of a wasted DRS by Australia only complicated the matter. After the match, Darren Lehmann called Broad ‘a cheat’ and asked to Australian audiences to ‘give it to him right from the word go’ during the return tour. Legendary batsman, however, suggested the silent treatment by the audience in order to get under his skin.

4. Imran Tahir- Sri Lanka vs South Africa at Colombo, 2014

One of the most fun-filled and exciting cricketers across the world, Tahir got a blot on his badge when he tried to waste time during the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka at Colombo. Though the match was already marred by constant rain interruptions, Tahir added fuel to fire and multiplied the islanders’ exasperation by wasting even more time.

Though this match is widely credited as one of the most thrilling Test matches ever, the South African spinners antics earned him a bad name during the game.

With the last wicket remaining and Sri Lankans cruising for victory, Tahir took his time while positioning himself to bat multiple times during the game. In fact, he even lied down during his innings with only a limited time left to play. However, luckily this incident was mostly overshadowed by his teammate Hashim Amla’s gritty batting earlier on in the innings.

Saving this match was crucial for the African nation as it propelled them towards the top position in the Test rankings. Though no one can fault Tahir from running all over the ground whilst celebrating a wicket, this particular incident was quite bothersome and could have cast a deep aspersion on his career had things gone awry.

5. Indian Women’s Test Team- Indian Women vs England Women, Leeds, 1986

The Indian Women’s cricket team made a bad name for themselves on their very first match on the English soil. Nervous, anxious and finding themselves in a troublesome situation, the only goal they hoped for was not to lose the match at any cost. Women’s Test cricket was relatively new in India at the moment and was suffering from various financial problems. Loss during that match could have meant loss of funding for their future endeavours.

Notwithstanding the given issue, the conduct of the team throughout the match cannot be condoned. In order to save the match and in turn, their funding they resorted to deliberate time-wasting tactics during the match. England needed 254 runs to win with around two hours still left to play.

The Indian team started complaining about the dazzling windows of vehicles parked in the car park and refused to continue until they were removed despite the batswomen saying that they did not have any issue with the glare. They also took substantial time in making field placements on the final day.

As a result, only eight overs could be bowled in the last hour and the match ended in a draw. The situation boiled over after the match which could be cooled down only by the then England Women Cricket Association’s Chairwoman Audrey Collins’ diplomacy.