3 Most Expensive Missed Chances in Test Cricket
The game of cricket has three important aspects to it: batting, bowling and fielding. To emerge as a champion, a team needs to perform well in all the three departments.
In the past, fielding was given the least importance and teams would primarily focus on batting and bowling. On a contrary though, recently teams have realized the vitality of fielding and this is evident from the fact that now every team has a specialized fielding coach so that the players could master the art of fielding.
There have been numerous instances where a team has ended up losing the game because they dropped an easy catch or missed a stumping. Here are the top three instances where the batsman capitalized on a missed chance and it proved very costly for the opponent.
# 3 Inzamam-Ul Haq
Inzamam was one of finest batsmen who played for Pakistan in all formats of the game.
It was during the 38th over of the Test match against the Blackcaps in the year 2003, when Inzamam was dropped on a score of 32 off the bowling of Chris Harris. Harris managed to find the elusive outside edge of Inzamam's bat only to be given a reprieve by the Kiwi wicket-keeper Robbie Hart.
Inzamam went on to score a match-winning triple century and added another 297 runs to his tally before being dismissed on a score of 329. He suffered cramps while he was batting on 211, but the Kiwi skipper, Stephen Fleming denied him a runner.
However, Fleming's decision did not affect the stalwart. He carried on and helped Pakistan to post a total of 653. Eventually, Pakistan won the match by an innings and 324 runs.