Logic goes for a toss

Ruturaj Gaikwad, the new captain of the CSK team in the ongoing IPL season, lost the toss and the match against the Punjab Kings at his team’s home ground (Chennai) on Wednesday. “Pretty obvious, winning the toss was huge”, the Punjab Kings captain Sam Curran had said after the match. And Ruturaj said he didn’t feel the pressure during the game but considered that losing the toss was disadvantageous.

“I have practiced a lot. I tossed it in the match. I am winning in the practice, but not winning in the match. What to do. I am really under pressure at the toss, not at the game” he said at the presentation ceremony.

A few former umpires whom we spoke to were rather surprised at the captain's statement.  

“There is nothing to practice. It is chance. Maybe he wanted to say “I have luck on my side in practice but not matches”” former Indian umpire Vinayak Kulkurni said.

But taking at face value what Ruturaj said, it won’t be surprising if the captain sends someone else for the toss in the next match. The MCC’s law doesn’t prevent the captain from sending another player for the toss. “If at any time the captain is not available, a deputy shall act for him/her, Law 1.3 says clearly. “There are instances of a player other than the captain attending the toss when earlier tosses didn’t turn out in the team’s favour,” Kulkurni, who later became BCCI's umpires' coach, added.

Another umpire, MR Singh felt this talk about winning the toss was silly.

“Sometimes, cricketers carry silly notions in their heads. This is one such. You cannot ‘practice’ to get the toss right and win it every time. The probability is 50% each time, however hard you practice. He’s just been unlucky”, Singh, who has stood in not less than six ODIs, said.

VK Ramaswamy, who has officiated as one of the first two neutral umpires, feels the CSK team should look at other aspects to win matches. “CSK must consider their bowling resources and the fact that they don’t have batters to accelerate in the power play or finish in the end overs unlike PBKS, KKR, LSG etc. They have players who are good in Tests and one-day matches. Winning or losing the toss is only an excuse, unless there was rain, which may help the bowlers initially,” he said.

Sometimes, cricketers carry silly notions in their heads. This is one such. You cannot ‘practice’ to get the toss right and win it every time. The probability is 50% each time, however hard you practice. He’s just been unlucky” — MR Singh, umpire

There is nothing to practice. It is chance. Maybe he (Ruturaj) wanted to say “I have luck on my side in practice but not matches” — Vinayak Kulkurni former Indian umpire

I have practiced a lot. I tossed it in the match. I am winning in the practice, but not winning in the match. What to do. I am really under pressure at the toss, not at the game” — Ruturaj, CSK captai