The curious case of Test cricket

As another IPL season is set to begin, the fate of Test cricket is back again for a discussion. I watch T20s, enjoy ODIs but love Test cricket more than anything. Test cricket may not be my first form of cricket I loved but that’s where I found solace. The joy in watching your favorite teams and players battling in the whites for five days gives an unparalleled thrill. Test matches are what completes cricket and makes it the gentleman’s game. With the advent of T20s, Test cricket may look boring and pale to the present generation of young fans, without all the glamour of cheer girls and post match parties. But that’s how I grew up, watching them in their white and colored caps playing for their nations rather than some private teams. There was loyalty, pride and prestige in every game. Every new match, and the gap between each match, made them more exciting. There was something to look forward to in every game, every time.

The loyalties of the players always belonged to Test cricket, which was considered to be the ultimate challenge for any budding player. But for the past few years, there was a steady change in the mindset of young players. A fast track chance to set the world on fire is given by wearing all those colorful shirts, which they prefer than the whites. The instant success they get with a mindless , hardcore hitting of the ball is nowhere near the composed innings in a Test match. There are few players who can adjust themselves according to the mode and mood of the game, and they are the only players who really benefit from these games. They may have given them an instant popularity, but popularity is not enough to get into the team. It requires performance, patience and skill at every level of the game.

There is a change in the approach of the game by the youngsters. The openers are no longer required to just to take the shine off the ball. With batsmen like Sehwag and Dilshan taking the opponents head-on, the matches became more interesting. Test matches were no more dull and uninteresting even by the ‘modern’ standards. Young players, turning pitches and change in mindset of the people resulted in emergence of a new type of Test cricket. The batsmen were no more settling down for a draw and resigning themselves on the final day. The real fight just begins only then as even a target of 300+ looks small now, with all the slogging and T20 shots. Sehwag’s triple tons speak volumes about the way he treats Test cricket.

Even the bowling department had undergone several changes. The importance is no more on controlling the runs but on picking the ten wickets. The duel between Sachin and Dale Steyn during the third Test of the 2010-11 series is a part of one of the best bowling spells ever. Bret Lee made the ball dance to his tunes in the 4th Test match at Sydney in the 2003-04 series. These are all just some examples that I have witnessed. Spinners, too, are not far away from this. They started to hunt in pairs as the pacers did. Their quick over rate is their advantage and the captains are smart enough to utilize them.

The boards and ICC have realised the importance of Test cricket and I am sure it is in safe hands as of now. Test cricket must survive for the greater good of the cricketing world.