There has been much debate lately about whether test cricket should be demolished or changed. But I think differently; Test cricket should continue as it is right now; it’s still the “Best Form” of cricket. Every genuine cricket follower will prefer test cricket over all of the others, but definitely, cricket’s not so ‘serious’ followers will rate T20 or ODIs better.
The reason for supporting test cricket is that a player is tested in this form. Test cricket needs a lot of hard work. In test cricket, not only do you have to score runs, but you also have to save wickets. Test cricket tests the players’ temperament and his activeness on the ground.
Currently, three Test series are taking place. On Monday at Mount Maunganui, Pakistan and New Zealand were involved in one such gripping contest. New Zealand’s four-man pace attack has been an unstoppable force at home ever since it took its current shape earlier this year. Not even a broken toe could stop New Zealand’s pace attack from dominating day three of the first Test against Pakistan.
New Zealand quickly wraps up the innings and was stalled by a late-century stand from Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf. Rizwan and Ashraf provided a face-saving partnership for Pakistan with 107 for the seventh wicket.
From that singular point of view, Pakistan didn’t do quite as disastrously as the match situation seems to have condemned them to. New Zealand couldn’t burst through the batsmen in quick succession, wickets didn’t fall in clusters. Abid survived over 100 balls, and the shortest stay at the crease was Haris Sohail’s – 22 balls. Even Abbas stuck around for 55 balls. Every batsman got their eye in, all of them managed starts.
Pakistan might lose this match because of the way they approached it but lose it slightly less comprehensively because Ashraf and Rizwan recognised that dated, conservative strategy for the trap that it was, and discarded it summarily with the contempt it deserved.
At another point, India put themselves on the doorstep of one of their finest Test victories as the bowling attack again came to the fore at the MCG to dismantle an increasingly fragile Australia top order. It is not easy to play elite cricket in such times when sometimes you are playing for your place in the side, on other times you are being trolled if you go online.
Add to it the three missing first-choice players – Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami – for the Boxing Day Test after you have just been bowled out for 36. It takes a lot of mental strength and wisdom and trust in their own skills to come back from such a result.
The Indian Cricket Team giving a tough competition to Australia imagine how much one must rue coming within striking distance of beating Australia in a day-night Test at your first attempt.
There is another series going in which Sri Lanka and South Arica are playing their first test match on the former’s soil. Both sides have shown their batting strength. Three years, actually. That’s the last time a South African top two put on a 100-plus stand.
That’s the quality of red-ball cricket. Finally, from my perspective, Test cricket resembles life. There will be ups and downs throughout the course of life and Test cricket offers various challenges at different instants of time throughout the course of five days. Now let’s see how exciting cricket fans will witness in the days to come.
