Five reasons why Test cricket will never die

Laxman’s hard fought innings at Mohali last year against Australia was one of the highlights of 2010

In an era of rampant commercialization and the stupendous rise of Twenty20 cricket, doubt and skepticism regarding the credibility and existence of Test Match Cricket has become common. The IPL, the ICC World T20 and the traditional 50-over games have made sure that Test cricket has taken a backseat in the cricket viewing agenda of the masses. The grand old traditional game for the purist seems to have lost its teeth among the modern generation who seem to enjoy this 3 hour non-stop entertainer called T20 cricket more than a 5-day, mentally draining Test match. I have always believed that a Twenty20 match is like watching a Akshay Kumar comedy. You go out there, enjoy yourselves, try not to indulge your brains and return home. On the other hand, Test cricket is a like a watching a play at Prithvi Theater in Mumbai. It’s more absorbing, showcases better talent and will always be the first love of the actors.

As a traditionalist who has grown up on a staple diet of Test cricket which sometimes did not produce a result even after 30 hours of gruesome cricket, I have really enjoyed some of the modern day Test matches. A fourth innings Laxman special at Mohali and Colombo to go along with a Hashim Amla marathon innings at Kolkata earlier last year were clear indications that Test cricket is here to stay. So as Test cricket turns 2000 next month with India taking on England at the Mecca of cricket, Lord’s, and a possibility of Sachin’s 100th hundred (sounds mouthwatering, right?), here are 5 reasons why Test cricket is and will always be the best form of cricket.

1. The old tradition

Over the years, the classic cricketing rivalries such as the Ashes, the Border-Gavasker Trophy and others have provided fans with numerous reasons to worship this game. The jam-packed stadiums during the Ashes last year showed us why there still is a place for Test cricket. No matter how big T20 gets, there will always be a section of purists who will enjoy a Test match between two equally competitive sides played on a sporting wicket. Those who are pessimistic about its future need to understand that a format that has withstood 120 years, survived many administration problems and yet proved to be timeless, is not going to die just like that.

2. The original Test of temperament

There is an old saying that goes “Test Cricket separates the men from the boys”. Any player can be a one-match wonder, but it takes a player with extreme mental and physical toughness to exceed at the Test level. The ability to bat for two full days on a swinging Durban wicket to save a Test match or to turn the match around with an untiring, hostile spell of fast bowling on a fifth day afternoon session at Chepauk are some qualities which seldom cricketers seem to possess. The present-day Tendulkars and the Warnes will always owe a large chunk of their success to Test cricket because it was the grind of the 5-day version of the game which guided them to greatness.

3. The battles within the battle

The most compelling exchanges between bat and ball take place in the Test arena. The longer nature of the game provides some of the most intriguing contests for the fans to enjoy. Famous confrontations between the giants – Marshal and Gavasker, Lillee and Richards, Tendulkar and Warne – have always been an exhilarating spectacles in Test cricket. Such battles bring the best out of the players, thus allowing the game to reach its highest point.

Dravid’s gritty innings at Jamaica once again proved that Test cricket is the ultimate test of a players temperament

4. The Rise of Twenty20

The popularity of the shortest format of the game may seem ready to deplete the viewership of Test cricket but it has enormously helped bring the longer format from 2nd gear to 4th gear. The attacking mindset from T20 cricket seems to have spilled over to the Test arena and the increasing strike rates of the batsmen are a clear indication of that. Earlier, 250 runs in a day’s play seemed acceptable, but now, Sehwag can get those runs himself in a single day’s play. It means that the bowlers now have more time to dismiss the opposition twice, thus, leading to more results, which in turn is good for the game.

5. And finally, for those wonderful memories

An individual score of 400, 10 wickets in an innings, a partnership of 624 runs are some of the achievements only Test cricket can boast of. Over the years, Test match cricket has provided some of the most cherished memories for both players as well as fans. Sachin’s backbreaking 136 against Pakistan in Chennai in 1999, Shane Warne dismissing Mike Gatting with the ball of the century in 1993, the Laxman–Dravid partnership at Kolkata along with Harbhajan’s 32 wickets against Australia in the same series are just some of the incidents which showed the world that Test cricket would always remain the ultimate form of cricket.