Test Cricket
By Vimal Kapoor
The IPL season is in full swing, and its sixes galore; new records are being shattered left and right. Yet, the purist in me still believes that Test Cricket is the true form of the game—the entrancing image of a fast bowler charging in at full pace with five slips and a gully, the batsman skillfully leaving an out swinger, then there’s Kuldeep Yadav outfoxing the batsman with his clever googlies, or Virat Kohli executing that graceful cover drive, or Joe Root’s elegant straight drive. I could travel miles just to witness such a mesmerising spectacle.
One of the most compelling aspects of Test Cricket is the way it unfolds over five days. Unlike the quicker formats, where every ball feels like an attempt to “finish the match”, Test Cricket allows for a more tactical, strategic approach. It’s akin to a chess match where every move, every decision, and every moment counts. Teams must think not just for the immediate over, but for the long haul.
The slow, calculated nature of the game means that each session—morning, afternoon, and evening—brings new challenges. The weather, pitch conditions, and form of the players provide exciting add-ons that constantly evolve, creating a dynamic, ever-changing spectacle.
The recent test series against Australia in Australia was the best of its kind; it had millions talking about Test Cricket. If you weren’t glued to every ball, you were missing out. India fired the first shot, before Australia made a roaring fight back to level and eventually win the gripping series. The consensus among the legends of the game was that such a duel gives Test Cricket a shot in the arm; a lifeline to “save” the format. After all, any exposure that Test Cricket can get is just what it needs, right? Not quite. The debate around Test Cricket’s future goes deeper than a classic battle between two of the “big three”. There is so much more involved, with Test Cricket’s landscape looking particularly bleak.
Test Cricket looks quite healthy in India, England, and Australia. However, what about the rest? What does Test Cricket mean to them, and more importantly, is there a desire to develop young talent with red-ball cricket in mind given there is such an unequal distribution of funds? Where do these nations see Test Cricket in the next five to ten years given the format isn’t as profitable?
Test Cricket is expensive to host and does not attract big crowds all around the world given work and other commitments. Also, the shorter format caters to the need for instant gratification that has taken the world by storm over the past two decades. This may not sound nice to the traditionalists (of which I am one), but these are the cold, hard facts.
It is common knowledge that cricket authorities of South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka are cash-stricken over the years and have hedged their financial future on T-20 cricket which is more lucrative. With a different T20 league nearly every month, not only can players earn lucrative amounts, but there are minimal opportunities to hone their red-ball skills. So, along with the revenue issue, skill is another. If players aren’t spending time on their techniques for the red-ball game, Test Cricket suffers further.
Test Cricket is not just about individual brilliance; it’s about the ebb and flow of a team’s fortunes. The match evolves like a story with ups and downs, twists and turns. A team could be on top one day, only to find themselves under pressure the next. The outcome of a match is often uncertain until the very last ball, making every moment significant. Players like Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, James Anderson, Kapil Dev, Viv Richards and Ricky Ponting attained legendary status not because of white ball matches but their heroic exploits in Test Cricket.
Consider a situation where a team, having been bowled out cheaply on the first day, fights back valiantly with the ball, slowly inching towards parity. Or a bowler who, after struggling in the early innings, finds his rhythm in the final session of the fifth day and takes a series of quick wickets, leading to an unexpected victory. These stories unfold slowly but are far more rewarding to witness because of the time it takes for them to make headlines. For the sake of cricket, let’s hope that test matches thrive and flourish in all the cricket playing nations.
(Vimal Kapoor, a Dehradun resident, is passionate about literature, creature writing, cricket and exploration through travel)
