Ravi Shastri Urges Bold India Declaration to Force Victory in SA 2nd Test

Former coach Ravi Shastri suggested India should consider an ambitious declaration to win the second Test against South Africa.

Former head coach Ravi Shastri has urged India to consider a bold declaration strategy to force a result in the second Test against South Africa. India finished day two at 9/0, trailing by 480 runs after South Africa’s lower-order dominated with 243 runs from positions 7-11.

The visitors’ remarkable recovery was powered by Senuran Muthusamy’s partnerships of 88 with Kyle Verreynne and 97 with Marco Jansen. Jansen hit seven sixes, setting a new record for most sixes by an overseas batter in India.

Shastri’s Tactical Recommendation For India

While commentating, Shastri emphasized the need for aggressive decision-making to secure a series-leveling victory.

“Tactically, India will have to take a call tomorrow. See how they get through the new ball and then take the game forward and force a win in this Test. They will have to call the shots, which means you might even want to declare behind,” Shastri said.

The former coach suggested India should prioritize time over runs in their pursuit of victory.

“Then try and bowl out the opposition quickly in the second innings. You have got to take those chances. You cannot wait to bat and go past 489; that will take a long time. Might have to even declare 80, 90, 100 runs behind and see how it goes,” Shastri added.

Historical data shows such declarations rarely succeed. Teams have declared their second innings while trailing only 33 times in Test history, with just three resulting in victories.

The first successful instance occurred during England’s 1934/35 West Indies tour. On rain-affected uncovered pitches, England declared 21 runs behind before West Indies captain Jackie Grant set a 73-run target. Wally Hammond then guided England to victory in challenging conditions.

India faces a difficult decision on day three, balancing the risk of an ambitious declaration against the safety of conventional batting. With the series at stake after their first Test defeat, Shastri’s as well as Ashwin’s comments highlight the strategic dilemma facing captain Rishabh Pant and coach Gautam Gambhir.