Will Dhoni’s decision to bowl first backfire?

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's verdict to field first on winning the toss in the first Test against England at Lord's has earned flak from some quarters

Will Dhoni's decision to bowl first backfire?

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's verdict to field first on winning the toss in the first Test against England at Lord's has earned flak from some quarters. The sudden decision took the experts by surprise and few have doubts whether it's a right decision, given the venue and conditions.

In a similar incident, Mohammed Azharuddin chose to field at the same venue in 1990 and the opposition captain Graham Gooch went on to smash 333 after wicketkeeper Kiran More dropped him at an early stage.

Skippers Andrew Strauss (left) and MS Dhoni during the toss.
Pic/Getty Images

So, after Dhoni's decision there was a buzz at the Lord's that India have committed a mistake on the first day itself, though few believe Dhoni was right. MiD DAY spoke to a few legendary cricketers to know their point of views.

Wasim Akram
More than captain Dhoni, I will blame the new ball bowlers. Dhoni must have thought that his bowlers would give him the breakthroughs. But, ultimately they couldn't. So, I will solely blame the bowlers. And yes, by opting to field first, it also shows that Dhoni has more faith in his bowlers than his batsmen.

Michael Holding
Indian bowlers swung the ball but not in the right direction. You have to make the batsmen play. You can swing the ball all day, but if batsmen can survive without offering shots, then it becomes a futile exercise. So, India really wasted the new ball on the first morning with their decision to bowl first.

Geoffrey Boycott
No, I don't think India should have bowled first. I am a believer in traditional cricket and so Dhoni should have batted first. It's a mistake, and on top of it, his bowlers didn't know how and where to bowl. So the
decision will backfire on the Indians here.

Sourav Ganguly
I do believe in batting first. But, it was overcast conditions and so, I support Dhoni. He took the right decision so his bowlers can take advantage of the conditions.

Ravi Shastri
I think it was a good decision. Courageous one. I fully endorse Dhoni's view.