New Zealand vs Pakistan, First Test: Test cricket is up and running

How the Abu Dhabi Test match would publicize the beauty of a Test match and rekindle the passions for a Test match?

New Zealand skipper Williamson - A shrewd tactician

# Test matches are normally won on a session-to-session basis. That was very much reflected in the Abu Dhabi where one team had the upper hand at a particular point in time before losing the grip of the game. This uncertain nature of a Test match brings about more drama to the game.

# In a Test match, a team gets two opportunities to right the wrong. In this Test match, even after scoring just 153 runs in the first innings, New Zealand found a way to come back in the second innings. This second chance ensures that Test matches are by and large not one-sided.

# At Abu Dhabi, there were a total of 6 batting collapses and the pendulum kept swinging from one side to another side. This kind of fluctuation in fortunes is often not felt in white ball cricket which has now become stereotyped and started producing dull affairs.

# One-day match has lost its charm with the advent of T20 cricket and due to the dull nature of the proceedings in the middle overs. However, Test matches, of late are more result oriented barring weather interference.

Ironically, it was the aggressive approach of the batsmen carried forward from white ball cricket that has facilitated Test matches to be more result oriented in recent times.

# The joy of watching Test matches is that there is neither any field or overs restriction. At Abu Dhabi, fast bowler Neil Wagner bowled a spell of 13 overs. He bowled unchanged since lunch. Again with no restriction on field placement, New Zealand took the game deep to make Pakistan sweat for each and every run.

# In Test matches, strategy plays a bigger role than in white ball cricket. White ball cricket has nowadays become more predictable with the fixed strategy being adopted by teams.

In the Abu Dhabi Test, Williamson was spot on with his strategies towards the end of the match. He bowled both Wagner and Ajaz Patel unchanged. At no point of time, he was tempted to bring back his main strike bowler Boult for an over or two. A couple of looseners from Trent Boult on his new spell would have given some free runs to Pakistan.

As against New Zealand, Pakistan were bizarre with their strategies. At the fall of Sarfraz's wicket, Azhar Ali could have started farming the strike. But he failed to do so and exposed the tail until the last man Mohammad Nawaz arrived at the crease. By that time, it was too late for Pakistan and Azhar Ali refused some crucial singles which turned out to be the difference in the end in a close match.

In hindsight, Azhar Ali should have farmed the strike much earlier which was a tactical blunder from him.

The result of the Abu Dhabi Test is likely to bring more interest and crowd to Test matches.