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Test Cricket

  Test cricket the oldest form of cricket is in great danger of being extinct from the world of cricket. More than one threat is giving the worst nightmares to all the lovers of this simplest form of gentleman’s game. Most of the people around the cricketing fraternity believe that the infant child of cricket “T-20 format” is the biggest danger to test cricket. I don’t think so. There are some bigger and more critical factors responsible for the present scenario. We will analyse what makes me to think so. The game of cricket has a known history spanning from the 16th century to the present day, with international matches played since 1844, although the official history of international Test cricket began in 1877. During this time, the game developed from its origins in England into a game which is now played professionally in most of the Commonwealth of Nations. By the end of the 19th century, 64 Test matches had been played. Most of them were between England and Australia. Some involve South Africa as well. This was the most ancient history of test cricket found till now. You can notice that during this duration of 23 years only 64 test matches were played which is far from being comparable to the count of nowadays. Till 1928 only three teams were playing international cricket. Then in 1928 West Indies made their debut and after them it was India and New Zealand came into cricketing arena, then came in Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It was this time 1900-1970, when cricket evolved from its ancient form to the current modern form which has not only the test cricket but new evolutions like IPL in it.

            

 Problem Arises:  

     1900-1970, this was the time which is mostly responsible for the current scenario in test cricket. When the cricketing bodies should try to make this form of sport a global game they did nothing. They were too busy with the nations which were already present in this format that their negligence cost us so dearly and currently test cricket is facing its worst of the nightmares. None of the developed nations are associated with this sport. People in Japan, France and USA didn’t even know the name of Sachin Tendulkar. And the reason is not that they are not interested in cricket but the reason is that they were never told about this. You can not say that they people do not have 5 days of time to play cricket. They play golf which starts on the Thursdays and played throughout the weekend. I know that cricket is not as fast paced as Soccer and Basketball is but, it is not as slow paced as Golf is. It has much more action in it than Golf. The point which I wanted to make here is that If we could have these developed nations associated with this sport it will be easier for us to save the oldest form of cricket from being vanishing. In 1970, ICC starts the new format of cricket known as One Day Internationals (ODI). This format catches the popularity so rapidly that in 1975 first world cup consisting of ODIs played between all the cricket playing nations was held in England. After this world cup they started to have this world cup every 4 years. But, nothing was done for the test cricket. ODI starts to pick up the popularity and test cricket keeps on loosing its viewers. Cricketing governing body did nothing to save the popularity of the test cricket and the result is in the front of us. Now they are talking about all the stuff like changing the format of test cricket, day-night test matches, World series for test matches etc. But when the time was right they did nothing. They focused just on the new format that was ODI at that time. They started day-night matches to increase the popularity of ODIs, they allowed colourful dresses in the matches, and they started the concept of powerplays for more action. But, test cricket is not even touched. It is still played the same way, by the same countries as it was done 50 years back. So, this era of evolution of cricket proved to be actually the grave of test cricket.

            Another reason for the pathetic situation of test cricket lies in the present. That is the amount of cricket played nowadays. In last 32 months India and Sri Lanka have played 32 ODIs against each other. If we talk about the 1960s or 1970s to play 32 matches takes around 4-5 years for a single team. They hardly visit a country once in 3-4 years. But, now India alone has visited Sri Lanka 3 times in last couple of years.  A player nowadays hardly gets a chance to visit their hometowns. They are always travelling from one destination to other. When you bombard viewers with so much of matches how can you expect a cricket lover anxiously waiting for a cricket match to start when he already have couple of being played on other channels. Nowadays rarely you will find a day without cricket being played in some part of the world. When you always have the option of watching an ODI or a T20 instead of a test match you will certainly chooses the shorter version. You will hardly ask your boss for leave for watching a test match when you have one fast paced T20 lined up on the weekend. Watching cricket is a stress buster. You can schedule 1-2 days in week for it, but you can never give the whole week to this. So, watching a test match even the 3^rd or 4^th day of a test match is out of the question. Because you have the option of a 3 hours of real fast paced action in the T20 scheduled somewhere in the week. You will definitely complete your quota of the cricket for the week in that T20. Commercialization of cricket is the biggest reason behind the amount of cricket being played nowadays. Everyone wants more money. Players, Board of cricket of different nations, sponsors. Everyone just wants more matches to be played. Only looser in this is cricket. New formats like T20 does not require the quality but the quantity of runs scored. Earlier in test matches every single taken was cheered like a six is being hit. But, now even a grounded shot for a four is not enough. Young players are lacking the quality of a classic batsman like Sir Don Bradman, The Wall Rahul Dravid etc. They just wanted to hit big sixes because every six have money behind it. Even in the test matches pitches are made deliberately Batsman friendly. They are just the graves for the young pace bowlers. Because if runs are not being scored there will be less spectators, low paying sponsors etc. Cricketing bodies just want more and more ODIs and T20 matches to be fitted in the calendar. You can easily notice the effect of all this on the player’s bodies. Earlier players like Steve Waugh do not miss a match on a trot for years. But now players rarely play 2-3 series in a row.  They have to take rest because of the so tightly packed schedules.

The ICC has belatedly but thankfully bitten the bullet and accepted ground realities staring at it with a troubled expression; yes, Test cricket is under threat from a severe onslaught of T20/ODI cricket and faces a growing prospect of gradual but certain extinction. Strangely enough, the ICC is solely responsible for cannibalizing the erstwhile classic Tests, with its highly hurried, extremely exaggerated and unplanned promotion of T20, which has ended up creating a Frankenstein in the form of the monstrous IPL. It has become a self-destructive instrument of unparalleled proportions given its exponential rise, at least so far. Now a desperate ICC is trying hard to save smudged face.

Steps Needed:

      The result of the consequent mayhem has been the call for revamping Test cricket, and from the early shrill sounds of a 'four-day Test match etc' it is quite obvious that once again ICC will blunder by following some circuitous, near-sighted suggestions and come up with either a cosmetic change or make a complete mess of it.

We have to look at the challenge of reorienting Test cricket with clarity, reality and vision.

         Legends like Sunil Gavasker, Sachin Tendulkar and Sir Vivian Richards time to time have expressed their concerns regarding the Dying Test Cricket. They have been backing this longest format of the game with different reasonings on different occasions. I believe that the gradual evolution of cricket resulting in the new formats like T20 cricket is necessary but simultaneously sufficient steps should be taken for the evolution of test cricket as well. I agree that Test cricket needs some overhauling now. Greats like Rahul Dravid have talked about such a step long time back. That is a World cup of Test Matches. And, now even ICC is backing this idea by announcing such an event’s possibility somewhere in 2013. Another solution could be the Day-Night Test matches for attracting more and more crowd. Day-Night matches attract more people this has been proved by the huge success of Day-Night ODIs over Day ODIs.  

An Alternate Format:

   I would like to propose one new format for the test cricket:

Each playing day to have 100 overs (relative to today's 90); thus, matches should begin earlier. We will have a maximum of 500 overs in a Test match.

Each team gets to play a maximum of 125 overs per team (125x4) = 500 overs.

If Team A batting first gets out under 125 overs, then the balance remaining overs gets added to the other Team B. For example, if Team A is bowled out in 97 overs in the first innings, then Team B gets to bat an additional 125+28 overs (unused overs) = 153 overs if it chooses to.

If Team B is all out in it's first innings for 100 overs, then Team A can now bat for 125+53 overs (unused overs) = 178 overs in Team A's second innings.

As a result, in the fourth and final innings Team B will have to score

xxx runs in at least 125 overs, or more depending on how many overs it took to dismiss the other team and the balance unutilised overs.

If Team B fails to score more than Team A score despite having wickets in hand, it will stand to lose the match, unlike currently where it results in a drawn Test.

A winning chase is now mandated and the winner is the one with a higher aggregate score. This ensures a certain, guaranteed result to a Test match.

    I also suggest that we should allow teams to play in colored clothing. Frankly, other than Wimbledon aren't all OTHER Grand slam tennis tournaments played in multicoloured attire? And it does not change the intensity or competitiveness of the tournament a wee bit. By now, players are in any case used to playing with coloured balls. A one-day buffer day must exist for rain delays and wash-outs. In the event of rain/disruptions causing temporary interruption, the Duckworth-Lewis formula with suitable adjustments should be made applicable, thus enforcing result.

Everything else should be ceteris paribus.

I hope under this format, Test cricket will see a resurrection and a guaranteed take-off from its currently dwindling fortunes.