5 Reasons Why Watching Test Cricket In England Is Exciting

India won the recent T20 series in England and captain Morgan’s troops demonstrated why they are a force to reckon with by winning the ODI series. Now, it’s time for the Test matches. This battle for supremacy will involve five grueling encounters between two competitive teams.

While England has the home advantage, the English summer has made things a bit easy for the Indians. They will be determined to rectify their recent record in England. Then there are battles within a battle, like Kohli vs English conditions and bowlers, and Indian spinners vs English batsmen.

England has always been a destination to watch cricket for the cricket lovers all around the world. The conditions, environment and above all, the knowledgeable English spectators who admire each piece of good performance by the players of either side, makes England a place to witness live cricket. To add to it, the following reasons make it all the more exciting to watch Test cricket in England from the comfort of your home.

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#1. English Conditions

England is a place where the ball swings a lot. The Dukes ball is dreaded by the batsmen because of its deadly movement in the air. English conditions tend to change rapidly as well. Thus, as a batsman, it gets difficult to set any long-term goals.

The bowlers tend to have the advantage when the conditions are overcast. Due to the unpredictability of the whether conditions, one really doesn’t know which session might be washed off or curtailed due to bad light. This adds an element of surprise and things do not get predictable, making the game interesting.

#2. Pitches

Be it Trent Bridge or Lords, the pitches in England have a lot of life. They might not be as quick as Perth, bouncy as Wanderers, or spin-friendly as Eden Gardens, but they definitely have lateral movement. That is why bowlers like James Anderson become extremely difficult to play.

Not only does the ball move around in the air, it also moves off the pitch. Thus, even if the conditions are not swing-friendly, the bowlers will find some assistance due to the pitch’s lateral movement.

#3. Grounds

It is almost every cricketer’s dream to play at the home of cricket, Lords. The list of centurions at Lords displays names of some of the game’s legends. The grounds in England are traditional, unlike other grounds in the world, they do not have short boundaries. This leaves open the possibility of running threes when the ball goes in the outfield.

Also, the grounds have an odd shape, they are not all circular, The Oval being a great example. Therefore, fielders need to adjust their throwing lengths and strengths, and spinners need to adjust their line and length accordingly.

#5. History

Cricket has been played in England for centuries. Bilateral series between India and England have been a sought-after affair. Historically, India has more often than not struggled in English conditions. The past two tours have been disastrous.

India did manage to turn things around in 2007 under Rahul Dravid’s leadership where India managed to win the Test Series 2-1. But since then, India haven’t been at par against the English men. This lends a lot of context to the games and raises the stakes to a higher level.

#5. Broadcast

For a cricket lover seated at home, there is hardly anything more exciting than watching the game on the LED screen in HD quality. And when cricket is played in England, the green of the grass and the blue of the sky heightens the picture.

The red ball, players in white, and the commentary in British accent make for a good cricket-watching and hearing experience. Over the years, cricket played in England has been broadcasted in India by Star Sports. However, India’s tour of England, 2018 is being broadcasted by Sony. This might be a welcome change for the audience at home. So, sit back and relax as the 5-match test series begins on August 1. May the best team win.