Why are teams failing so frequently in fourth innings chases?

[Xoib]

I enjoy an Indian defeat as much as the next Pakistani but Iam getting annoyed with all these 4th innings failed chases.More then home advantage it is bat first advantage which is deciding test matches.
It seems the only way a team batting second can win is by taking a minimum 150 runs lead or a sub 100 score in the 3rd innings

Any reason it is happening so frequently now?

 

[TheSensible]

Mental fortitude (lack thereof); but more so, physiological strain of playing for 5 consecutive days

Pitch degradability (primary reason)

 

[Sunny_majoka]

pitch deteriorate on 5th day and pressure of run chase is always there

 

[Bilal7]

There are no great teams anymore. Remember when South Africa nearly chased down 450 against India in the fourth innings or the several blockathons they played?

 

[Sarwar89]

Wrong
Recently in UAE Usman khawaja saved the test.
Aussies played 140 overs. Tht too against Shah.

 

[Sunny_majoka]

There are no great teams anymore. Remember when South Africa nearly chased down 450 against India in the fourth innings or the several blockathons they played?

in that regard pakistan had also nearly pulled out boxing day test match against australia.
also they had chased 370 against srilanka not so long ago.

 

[Bilal7]

in that regard pakistan had also nearly pulled out boxing day test match against australia.
also they had chased 370 against srilanka not so long ago.

That team had Younis, an ATG batsman who was a master of batting under pressure. Misbah was also someone who could pull off unlikely draws. Although not a great team as a whole, those two made the batting at least twice as strong as it is now.

There have been a few one-off clutch performances in the fourth innings here and there but there is no current team that can be trusted to play out a full 90 overs in the fourth innings. Let alone actually pull off a chase.

 

[Mamoon]

There are no great teams anymore. Remember when South Africa nearly chased down 450 against India in the fourth innings or the several blockathons they played?

in that regard pakistan had also nearly pulled out boxing day test match against australia.
also they had chased 370 against srilanka not so long ago.

South Africa did against relatively weaker Indian and Australian attacks. Doing it against this Australian bowling unit in the fourth innings is practically impossible. They have all the basis covered.

Our so-called run chase at Brisbane meant nothing. The match was over long before Shafiq and the tail-enders decided had a go at the target under no pressure; they were not expected to win and played with freedom, and the Australian bowlers had relaxed as well.

However, as soon as they got close to the target, they predictably choked. It is was very similar to India scoring 300+ at the Oval last summer. The match was over before Rahul and Pant started swinging, and as soon as they were under some pressure, they failed. Had the target been less than 200, they would have still lost.

It is not surprising to get close when the target is so big. Once the pressure of winning is off, players tend to play with more freedom. However, it these sub 250 totals that clutter the minds of the batsmen.

Furthermore, our 350+ chase in Sri Lanka in 2015 meant nothing. The pitch became a road from day four onwards. It was as flat a day five pitch as you can get. Also, Sri Lanka were playing with a rookie spinner.

The fact that Masood of all people scored a hundred in the fourth innings says everything that needs to be said about the conditions and the quality of the attack.

 

[InziFans]

Even a weak Windies side chased down 400+ against the ATG Australians in 2003

 

[Ab Fan]

It's harder out there in 4th inning but you expect the undisputed no. 1 team to cover hard yards when required.

Of course, they can only do it once or twice and not always, but this hasn't happened yet away from home in last 2 years.

 

[Sunny_majoka]

South Africa did against relatively weaker Indian and Australian attacks. Doing it against this Australian bowling unit in the fourth innings is practically impossible. They have all the basis covered.

Our so-called run chase at Brisbane meant nothing. The match was over long before Shafiq and the tail-enders decided had a go at the target under no pressure; they were not expected to win and played with freedom, and the Australian bowlers had relaxed as well.

However, as soon as they got close to the target, they predictably choked. It is was very similar to India scoring 300+ at the Oval last summer. The match was over before Rahul and Pant started swinging, and as soon as they were under some pressure, they failed. Had the target been less than 200, they would have still lost.

It is not surprising to get close when the target is so big. Once the pressure of winning is off, players tend to play with more freedom. However, it these sub 250 totals that clutter the minds of the batsmen.

Furthermore, our 350+ chase in Sri Lanka in 2015 meant nothing. The pitch became a road from day four onwards. It was as flat a day five pitch as you can get. Also, Sri Lanka were playing with a rookie spinner.

The fact that Masood of all people scored a hundred in the fourth innings says everything that needs to be said about the conditions and the quality of the attack.

at least give credit where it is due.
on 5th day pitch with pressure of high run chase Pakistan could easily went for a draw.
run chase is always diffcult in 4th inning even if you play on road

 

[Xoib]

It's harder out there in 4th inning but you expect the undisputed no. 1 team to cover hard yards when required.

Of course, they can only do it once or twice and not always, but this hasn't happened yet away from home in last 2 years.

The main culprits are the openers Kohli has walked out at 10-2 in everyone of these chases if he was starting 70 odd for 2 you would expect him to convert atleast couple of those chases in to wins. Even in odi's in most of his chases he gets support from Dhawan and ROhit with likes of Hardik and Jadav chipping. He is getting no support what so ever

 

[shariqnoor]

South Africa did against relatively weaker Indian and Australian attacks. Doing it against this Australian bowling unit in the fourth innings is practically impossible. They have all the basis covered.

Our so-called run chase at Brisbane meant nothing. The match was over long before Shafiq and the tail-enders decided had a go at the target under no pressure; they were not expected to win and played with freedom, and the Australian bowlers had relaxed as well.

However, as soon as they got close to the target, they predictably choked. It is was very similar to India scoring 300+ at the Oval last summer. The match was over before Rahul and Pant started swinging, and as soon as they were under some pressure, they failed. Had the target been less than 200, they would have still lost.

It is not surprising to get close when the target is so big. Once the pressure of winning is off, players tend to play with more freedom. However, it these sub 250 totals that clutter the minds of the batsmen.

Furthermore, our 350+ chase in Sri Lanka in 2015 meant nothing. The pitch became a road from day four onwards. It was as flat a day five pitch as you can get. Also, Sri Lanka were playing with a rookie spinner.

The fact that Masood of all people scored a hundred in the fourth innings says everything that needs to be said about the conditions and the quality of the attack.

Wouldn't agree at all that that chase meant nothing. Chasing 370 in the 4th innings is never easy, no matter the attack and no matter the conditions. Pakistan were 10/2 or something like that in that chase and with Pakistani batting, you're not fighting the pitch and the bowling alone. You are also fighting the meek mindset and mental demons of failing in the 4th innings oh so often. So in that context that was a superb effort from Pakistan.

If we take this logic of the pitch being a road and the attack being toothless, SA's effort at Perth of chasing 400+ also doesn't mean anything because that pitch was a road too 4th day onwards and the attack toothless. SA chased that target at a RR of 3.5 in the 4th innings with an attack that consisted of Siddle, Brett Lee, Johnson and Krejza. That 2008 year was Le's last year in test cricket. He was finished by then (similar to what Wasim was in 2002-03). And that year was Siddle's first in Test cricket. The only bowler that could've challenged SA was Johnson. It was a woeful attack.

So let's not take away the accomplishment of both these chases. It was a magnificent effort by Pakistan to chase 370 odd with the series 1-1. If we start dissecting innings, then every innings would contain caveats. Hayden's Test World Record score of 380 at that time came against Zimbabwe but that doesn't mean that it meant nothing.

 

[Sarwar89]

Someone here is saying that Pakistan chased 380+ 4th innings total and it meant nothing. Well it meant everything in 140 year of Test cricket history.

Chasing is never eazy in Tests regardless of pitches and conditions.

 

[Xoib]

Trust mammon to turn a completely unrelated thread to Pakistan bashing-India love thread.

Anyways on the topic its incredibleIndia has had atleast 6 fourth innings failures this year Pakistan in last 2 years has failed 7 times to chase either mediocre 4 thinking’s targets or has been unable to bat out a 5th day .Srilanka 3 times consecutively failed to chase targets at home be an ok English spin attack.Aus and S.A year has failed to chase scores at home vs India these are 17 instances just what I can without even trying I am sure there more and it’s unbelivably high number

 

[the Great Khan]

too much hit and giggle cricket, a lack of really good four day cricket that is affecting players technique. No classical players anymore. All we get is chest pumping weirdo's who think a hundred in an ODI is the same as a hundred in a test match..