In the question below is given a statement followed by two conclusions…
2023
In the question below is given a statement followed by two conclusions numbered I and II. You have to assume everything in the statement to be true, then consider the two conclusions together and decide which of them logically follows beyond a reasonable doubt from the information given in the statement.
Statements: In a one day cricket match, the total runs made by a team were 200. Out of these 160 runs were made by spinners.
Conclusions:
I. 80% of the team consists of spinners.
II. The opening batsmen were spinners.
- A.
Only conclusion I follows
- B.
Only conclusion II follows
- C.
Either I or II follows
- D.
Neither I nor II follows
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept: In statement-conclusion questions, a conclusion is said to 'follow' only when it is a certain, unavoidable inference from the statement -- no assumption, no outside knowledge, and critically, no conflation between different kinds of quantities (for example, mistaking a percentage of one measured quantity for a percentage of an unrelated quantity) is allowed.
Application: The statement gives two numbers: total runs = 200, and runs made by spinners = 160, so spinners contributed 160/200 = 80% of the RUNS. Conclusion I asserts that 80% of the TEAM (that is, of the players) are spinners -- this substitutes a runs-percentage for a team-composition percentage, which the statement never establishes. Conclusion II asserts that the opening batsmen were spinners -- the statement contains no information whatsoever about batting order or which players opened the innings.
Cross-check: If either conclusion were the intended answer, the statement would need to state something about the number of spinner players or about who opened the batting -- it states neither. So no valid link connects the given data to either proposed conclusion.
Contrast with each option:
"Only conclusion I follows" -- would only be valid if the statement said what fraction of the players are spinners; it says only what fraction of the runs came from spinners.
"Only conclusion II follows" -- would only be valid if the statement mentioned the batting order; it never does.
"Either I or II follows" -- would only be valid if at least one of the two claims (team composition, or batting order) could actually be derived from the statement's figures; neither is addressed by the runs-based data given.
Result: Since both conclusions require information the statement does not supply, neither conclusion is a certain consequence of the given statement.