In one of my earlier posts I had written about the fact that Test Cricket needs some serious rejuvenation through creative rules and innovative administration. Well, if we keep having Test Matches like the one just concluded between India and Australia two days back, then we do not need to change anything. This Test match has proved that Test Cricket is alive and kicking.
This match can boast of quite a few special components to it – one of the closest finishes in the history of the game, a riveting display of talent by both sides, an epic battle between the two best sides in the world and of course a war of words on the field. However, perhaps most importantly, it was a palate cleanser. After the sordid match fixing allegations and counter allegations in England, India’s last gasp victory was an opportune reminder of the spectacle that the game can provide to all its fans.
The occasion was also a timely reminder of why Test Cricket is still considered rightly as the pinnacle of the sport. With its fluctuating fortunes that included at least four reversals in momentum, its period of consolidation succeeded by phases of frenetic play and individual contests, this Test Match provided a rhythm, a gathering and release of tension, that the shorter formats cannot hope to match.
For this tour the itinerary has already been fixed. However for future Australian tours to India, BCCI should definitely consider to shelve bland ODI fixtures in favor of an extended Test Match series of four or five matches. India and Australia have never produced a dull match and as two giants of the game they would definitely provide the much-needed fillip to cricket’s recent crisis of credibility.
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