In the age of the T20, where new formats have taken over the old ones; does the same excitement exist as it used to in the longer ODIs and Test matches? iSporter Joanne D'Souza makes her debut by stressing on how an old concept like Test Cricket's graph is probably dipping with every match!
As I write this, the Indian cricket team (sans Dhoni) has started playing their first Test match of the year and, more importantly, their first Test match after being crowned the “King of Test Cricket”. This, even as the IPL captains issue their battle cries on television advertisements warning us that DLF IPL is “Back in India”. And this heady existence of two diametrically opposite forms of the game, playing out simultaneously on my TV set, makes me wonder what this means for cricket.
I mean, how many people even watch Test cricket anymore. Most people I know, cricket fanatics or otherwise, find out about the progress of Test matches through online sites, news tickers or the morning newspaper. 5 days of test cricket simply don’t match up to the excitement that is held in the compact 20 over innings of T20. For one, Test cricket doesn’t have any place for cheerleaders. (With good reason too, the cheerleaders would probably have to be roused from their sleep owing to the frequency with which boundaries are hit!)
And, as I distractedly watch the proceedings of the Test match between top-of-the-charts-India vs. Are-they-even-on-the-charts-Bangladesh, I can’t help but wonder what the future holds for these divergent forms of cricket. Is Test cricket doomed to be watched by only that generation of people who still remember cricket as the Gentleman’s Game, while T20 will grow with its fans, mostly victims of the technology enabled super-fast era? Will the popularity of the DLF IPL and the T20 form spell the death of Test cricket? Or, Will the heritage of Test cricket outlast the fad of T20? Or, will the two contrasting forms find a way to co-exist?
Tests may not always be as entertaining as T20. But for all its glamour, fanfare and quick action, T20 rarely matches up to the grit, strategy and style of a good old Test match. The tussle between Test cricket and T20 and is that of brain vs. brawn. Where a Test match follows the “slow and steady” maxim, T20 is a game of the fastest and strongest emerging as the winner. This is not to say that T20 requires no planning but strategising for 5 hours in comparison to 5 days is a far simpler task. And this task is made easier with other opportune rules such as power-plays, free hits and one-over eliminations! A Test match, spread over 5 days, tests the mental and physical capacity of players – the technique of batsmen, the perseverance of bowlers and the stamina of fielders. It takes meticulous planning – a study the opposing teams strengths and weaknesses, stock-taking of one’s own resources, forecasting playing conditions over 5 days along with the routine tasks of batting orders, assigning bowlers and field placements.
With so many virtues, shouldn’t Test matches be a priority for not only authorities, players, and even the fans? But T20 is where the money lays – the flashy ads and the front page headlines! And, this upstart version of the game is threatening to take down the classical form of the Gentleman’s game. So, if classical cricket has to survive, it will have to do what other “classicals” - music, art, dance, theatre - have done. Create your niche and adopt and adapt. Maybe, Test cricket could be used as training grounds for young players – a place where you learn the game, the rules, and the technique before unleashing six sixes in an over. Maybe, the T20 mindset could influence the way the game is now played out – not always defensive and on the back-foot. Maybe, a special season of Test cricket could be to the lovers of “pure” first-class cricket what T20 is to Gen Y! It is for the authorities to be creative, players to be sincere and fans to be loyal. And maybe, then, Test cricket may revive from the path of slow death that it is now.
As a fan of the game of cricket, before being a fan of a player (Rahul Dravid, in particular!), I sincerely hope for a happy co-existence to happen.
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a guest
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... Cricket stretched over five days is hardly strategic. It is a leisurely paced game because it is a leisurely played game. It is from an archaic time where old english men who didnt know what to do with their time would lob a ball and the other one would try and strike it. It is in no way an athletic sport, blame it on the Pakistanis and Australians that brought in the pace to the game, forcing the rest of the world to change their game. As this article rightly points out, the game has evolved, and holding the game back to the test format is like holding onto your old pulse dial phone that doesnt jack into the dial tone times. LET IT BE, LET IT BE LET IT BE.....forget all the test matches let it BE |
a guest
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... Welcome to iSport Joanne, a good first article I would say! As for the comparison, just like One days didn't kill tests, T20 won't either. At least not anytime soon. But at some point of time we will have to let go of an older form in favor of some thing newer and better. T20 is not just fancy and flashy, it has its own substance and suits the modern life style. Like it or hate it, its the future of Cricket |
a guest
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... Thank you for the comments! Well, I do agree that T20 will be the future.. The rate at which we are going we eventually won't have the time or inclination for anything longer! However, I would rather that Test Cricket evolve and remain alive, even if only in a niche, than die a slow death bred from neglect... Just as some have an affinity for heritage buildings and others for classical music, I have an affection for the traditional form of cricket from which ODIs and T20 were born! It's like I said, authorities need to be creative, players sincere and fans loyal  |
a guest
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... Hey Jo, Excellent article girl...way to go...I personally think that the T20 is here to stay with all the glam, the edge of the seat excitement it brings, of course not forgetting the cheerleaders getting jiggy after boundaries are hit  It also signifies how time crunched we are...with the fast paced jig that we are caught in - getting quick results is the key..n hence the increasing interest in the T20... Nice one huh...You love cricket, don't you? n i exactly know why............ |
a guest
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... Hey Jo, Excellent article girl...way to go.. I personally think the T20 is here to stay...with all its glam & starry quotient, the edge-of-the-seat excitement it brings, n not forgetting the cheerleaders who get jiggy with every boundary scored.. It signifies how time crunched we are n our inclination towards everything that's fast n quick...  In the rat race we're caught in, we've begun expecting speedy results even when it comes to our favourite sport....n hence the increasing popularity for the T20....... Really nice one Jo..a splendid debut !!! U luuurrrrrvvvveee cricket, dont you? n i exactly know why.... Regards, Delilah |
a guest
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... Hey Girl...Happy writing...hoping to see more of these super articles soon... Regards, Delilah |
Sonia Joshi
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... Interesting observations... Though striking to note that cheerleaders get a mention everywhere! Are we still talking about the game?? I guess T20's the way to go in 2020.. the Tests need to reinvent themselves and they better do so soon before the last glued ones switch channels... |
Joanne
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... hey Del and So... thank you both for your comments! And, while you both are right... T20 is the way to go, especially for our time-starved-instant-gratification generation... nonetheless... i'm hoping for a spark of revival for tests... lets see if they stand the "TEST" of time... |
a guest
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... Hey Joanne, Congrats on ur first article....  It ws a good read...especially the subtle nuances tht u hv brought abt while comparng the two extreme versions of the game...and yet maintaining ur loyalty as a hard-core fan of the game... While I personally favour the modified versions of cricket...I do hope fr fans like u tht the older version of the game does find itself some place in the future... Regards, Smita |
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