Quote Originally Posted by AdiSalisbury View Post
If you bowl so well that you bowl them out in half a day, you've then got to face those conditions yourself. You then have to consider the conditions for the final day, when the wicket is cracked and covered in foot holes, much more a factor in a 5 day game than any 45 over village game. I'd rather have the bat in my hand from the 1st ball thank you, for me it's the difference between positivity and fear.

"When you win the toss – bat. If you are in doubt, think about it, then bat. If you have very big doubts, consult a colleague – then bat."
W G Grace

It's a bit typical of the English to blame a below par batting performance on conditions.
Well who’d argue with the good doctor, and it certainly always used to be the way.

He was playing over a century ago though, and apparently, since 2000, teams batting second have won more Tests...217-250.

Interesting...if you’d always bat first, why have a toss in a Test series? Would it possibly make more sense to just take turns?