There has been a lot of debate in recent times, whether the advent of cricket’s shortest format that is T20, is overpowering the legacy of test cricket. When test cricket started way back in 1877, the spectators had ample time to enjoy five days of cricket. Even the scorching heat and snow cold did not hinder them from enjoying the game sitting in the stands.
But, as time changed, people started getting busy in their lives. Due to lack of time, the jam-packed stadiums, which were the highlights during the 1900s, turned upside down to low crowds in the test match.
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Transformation Of Cricket From Test To T20
The ODI cricket came into force in the year 1971. Everything changed from 5-day cricket to 7 hrs of single-day entertainment. If this was something new, the ICC came up with something even more adventurous, T20 cricket.
This form of cricket is like a 3 hr movie, where the players who play the role of actors come and express themselves and perform, whereas the crowds get the entertainment in the shortest time. Even with all this transformation, one thing is still close to the heart: test cricket.
Seeing the decreasing popularity of test cricket, the ICC came up with innovative ways to make sure that test cricket does not get extinct. The introduction of day-night cricket, the use of pink balls, etc., are a few ways by which ICC is trying its best to ensure that the longest form of the game still holds attraction.
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Test cricket is like a marathon, where only those who have the endurance to walk on the field for five days in a row can survive. Even though the shortest form of cricket that is T20, is destroying the art of bowling, at least the test cricket is allowing the bowlers to bowl the 5th and 6th stump line, giving them the freedom to direct bouncers to the body of the batsmen, and making the batsmen think about stepping out of their crease and getting deceived in the flight. It is said that a player’s real character is exhibited by the way he performs in test cricket.
Test Cricket Is Not Just A Game. It Is An Emotion
Test cricket was and will always be the most classic format of cricket. This is the only form of cricket where patience gives the reward. On the other hand, in T20, patience becomes catastrophic. The ability of players to handle pressure on the fifth day of a test cricket defines what test cricket is made of.
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The recently concluded second Test between India and England at Lords is a classic example of the team’s endurance and hard work winning a match. This test match went down to the wire, and the result came with just seven overs to spare.
Hardly anyone remembers a T20 victory that was achieved ten years ago. But someone who watched the Kolkata Test in 2001, the Ashes test of 2005, the battle between Johnson and Kohli in 2014, the knock of Rishabh Pant against Australia in the final test at Gabba to win the Border-Gavaskar trophy 2-1 can forget these matches.
These matches are not memories of any win or loss, but these are emotions that every cricket fan carries in his/her heart forever. This is the reason that defines test cricket and sets it apart from T20.
