Ben Stokes’ side need another 536 runs with seven wickets in hand on the final day, and even the most optimistic England fans in the Eric Hollies Stand started talking about a draw by stumps on Saturday. Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick accepts that reality, while insisting his team will keep looking forward rather than down.
Supporters spent much of the evening session singing, “stand up if you still believe”, and Trescothick admitted the coaching staff joined in. “That’s the position of the team: we are always trying to be as positive as we can,” he said.
The numbers, though, are stark. Only one team in Test history has passed 500 in a fourth-innings chase, and England’s own highest successful pursuit is 378. Trescothick was candid: “We all probably appreciate that it’s a hell of a lot of runs to try and score. It’s 550 [536] tomorrow and I don’t think we’ve seen scoring rates quite that quick in a day, so of course it will be challenging. But we’ve probably about another 10 to 15 overs of the balls at the hardest point before it gets a little bit soft, and then we’ll see how we’re going from that point, really.”
A draw, he conceded, would be no disgrace. “Whenever the situation is changing, of course it is. When you get to the point that you can [only] draw the game, of course,” he said. “We’re not stupid enough to [think] that you have to just win or lose. There are three results possible in every game that you play. But we have done some things in our time that are different to what we’ve done before.”
Since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took charge, the side have talked openly about ignoring the draw. Trescothick suggested that stance is often overstated. “This has kind of built up away from probably what the changing room messages are,” he said. “You guys have a perception of what you think goes on in the changing room, and we obviously understand it a little bit more [than] the perception of what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to give the players the best opportunity to win games every time that we go out to play, and then if we can’t do that, then we try and adapt accordingly, and plan ahead to what we’re going to try and do.”
Whatever happens on Sunday, England won’t hunker down at the first sign of pressure, Trescothick insisted. “I don’t think we use that sort of language,” he said. “It’s not the sort of changing room that we are. We’re not naive enough to know (sic) that it’s a very challenging total… Do you just go in your bunker and just sort of dig it out? Some players may do that. You just don’t know really, and it’s [up to] individuals that can adapt to the game and understand what’s happening. But you’ve got to understand our changing room is a different type of culture in terms of what we’ve done in the past.”
India, meanwhile, have no intention of easing up. Bowling coach Morne Morkel looked forward to a lively finale. “It’s definitely going to be an exciting day of cricket,” he said, pointing out that England’s desire to score quickly could present chances.
Day four ended with England 72 for 3, still 536 adrift. History says India should wrap things up; England say history doesn’t always get the last word. Either way, an absorbing final day lies ahead.
