Long Live Test Cricket!!

From a purist point of view, recently concluded India – Australia Test series provided multiple moments to cherish! Once again it helped fortify the belief that Test Cricket is here to stay for much longer time. It simply separates men from the boys.

I am diehard fan of Test cricket. They say that Test cricket is like enjoying fine art. You shouldn’t be in a hurry. You should have all the time in the world to focus on the game. You should not be distracted by the ordinary duties of your daily chores.  This is where possibility of your spouse having entirely differently views from you arises. 

I get disheartened when live coverage of test cricket is interrupted by advertisement the moment the bowler completes his bowling action of last delivery of the over. For a purist there is so much to observe on the field between the overs. There will be that fast bowler standing at long leg trying to warm-up and trying to seek attention of his captain. 

For me, Sunil Gavaskar brings loads of memories of Test cricket. The innings when he was asked to bat at number 4 against West Indies in India.  The make shift openers obliged by returning to pavilion without troubling scorers and Gavaskar played gem of inning of 236 after entering the ground at number 4 with score still reading at 0.

Before the entry of cable TVs in India, fans used to rely on radio commentary to listen to Test matches. Many Indian fans would stay awake late in night or get up early in morning just to listen to the commentary. They would develop strong bonds with the commentators.

There used to be Rest Day concept in Test Cricket. Test Matches in England would start on Thursday and Sunday used to be the rest day! The purist approach used to prevail over the commercial mindset. In fact, commercial mindset was conspicuous with its absence.

Limited version of cricket is restricted by rules so that it is batsman friendly. Bowlers are tied by many constraints such as restrictions on fielding, number of overs a bowler can bowl, number of bouncers per over. In test cricket, the teams get additional option of draw, option to declare, pitch condition which keeps on gradually deteriorating during the course of cricket adds to the complexity of the game.

Test cricket always requires you to be disciplined and to value basics of the game. Since bowlers are not bound by field or bouncers restrictions, getting lower order batsman out in a Test Match is relatively easy for a genuine bowler. There is concept of setting up a batsman for a wicket in Test cricket. Examples would be to start with couple of bouncers followed by a yorker or letting the batsman hit couple of boundaries before enticing him with an outside off-stump delivery. 

Rain in Test Cricket provides another level of uncertainty. Suppose you are eight wickets down and rain starts in the evening. Once it stops and umpires asks for resumption of the game for the last half an hour, it makes more sense to declare the innings and let your bowlers to attack the openers. Timing of declaration is very critical factor in Test Matches. 

In an innings you can change ball after 80 overs, but it not mandatory. Whether a captain changes the ball after 80th over depends on various factors. 

There are certain tests which carry historical importance. Boxing day Test match at Melbourne or New Year Test match in Sydney are played every year. South Africa and New Zealand also have their equivalent versions. Needless to say all these are Cricket nations in southern hemisphere.  The Lords Test in England is also a purist's delight. There used to be a time when you couldn't spot a spectator without business formal attire!! 

The knowledgeable spectator on the ground is another aspect of Test cricket to treasure! A beautiful cover drive even for couple of runs would draw applause from them. They come to the ground to enjoy the game. So cricket skills of both home and opponent teams are equally appreciated. I heard at Wankhede in earlier days, even 25 from a batsman would get spectators applause!!!

There are many more aspects of Test cricket to enjoy! As I said in the beginning of this post, it is like a fine art! I have a dream when I retire! Buy a large Television set, sit in a spacious hall, have my all meals / tea served there as per match timings and get a channel which would telecast matches without advertisement breaks. I would like to continue like this match after match, year after year!!