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Ten minutes before stumps a wicket falls. The captain has a choice, and whichever one he makes he will be asked about it in the press conference.
What the tactic actually buys you
It protects a specialist batter from facing a fresh ball under fading light, which is the hardest passage of play in the format. What it costs is a wicket, and sometimes a session the next morning.
The mathematics are close enough that both choices can be defended. That is why the argument never ends.
The key points
- Protects a top-order batter from the last few overs of the day
- Costs a wicket that may be needed later in the innings
- Works best when the tail-ender can genuinely defend
When it goes wrong
A nightwatchman who survives the evening and then blocks for an hour after breakfast has done his job twice over. One who falls to the third ball has handed the bowling side two wickets in ten minutes.
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Disagree on the declaration timing, but this is well argued.
Agreed. Overs remaining matters far more than the size of the lead.