Mumbai skipper Aditya Tare prefers Test Cricket to IPL

In an age where people are increasingly attracted towards the brevity of T20 Cricket at the expense of the intricacies of Tests, Aditya Tare has gone on record stating his affinity for the game’s oldest format. Cricket Country reported the wicket-keeper batsman talking about his preference for first-class cricket which lays more emphasis on the basics.

But, the 28-year-old conceded that the Indian Premier League has given himself financial security and increased his popularity. Admitting that the shortest format brought in the money, Tare believed that his stint with the Mumbai Indians gave a much-needed break to his career.

Speaking on the sidelines of a press conference at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai, Tare stressed, “T20s attract crowd and money. I earn properly and can live a comfortable life because of T20. I never thought youngsters would ask for my autograph, had there not been IPL. I still prefer the longer format but I cannot deny that IPL has ensured that I don’t have to worry about my income.”

Labeling Mumbai’s triumph in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy as the finest moment of his career so far, he elaborated on the influence of T20 cricket on the psyches of cricketers even in the longer formats.

Tare also affirmed, “I wasn’t even a part of the Mumbai Ranji Trophy side. Mumbai Indians gave me that scope. But my greatest moment was definitely winning the Ranji Trophy. I cannot deny that T20 has taken a toll on batting techniques. A lot of bottom hand has also come into play. Quality of spinners has also gone down. Since spinners refuse to attack.”

Noting that ODIs are in danger of losing its importance, the youngster hoped that Test cricket will still continue to charm spectators. Tare asserted, “I feel in the future ODIs may phase out. These days we have 5 ODIs and 3 T20Is on a tour. That may reverse in years to come. People will always watch Test cricket. ODIs or T20Is, they may forget, but Test cricket will stay.”

Recently, Tare led a young Mumbai side to the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy title by leading from the front in the knock-out stages. Even though they succumbed to a shock loss in the Irani Trophy, his statements reveal that Mumbai cricket is in safe hands at the moment.