With all the frantic activity associated with the Indian Premier League 2 and Twenty20 my attention has been diverted to the pleasures of Test match cricket. Yes pleasures, for as a bit of an old timer, as a traditionalist who grew up on a staple diet of five-day matches that sometimes did not produce a result even after 30 hours of play, I have really enjoyed the fare served out in the longer version of the game even as I savour the happenings in cricket's newest and shortest format.
The leisurely proceedings, players in white, day cricket and the red ball have provided a refreshingly different scenario from the surfeit of slam bang cricket and taken me on a trip down memory lane. There is an undying charm about Test cricket that still makes it the highest art form associated with this great game. The heightened suspense spread over five days, the fluctuating fortunes and the fact that bowlers are trying to take wickets and not restrict the runs are a few of the factors that one relishes. Ask any budding cricketer and with all the many attractions associated with the shorter versions of the game he will say his ultimate aim is to play Test cricket. A cricketer who shines only in ODIs will still lament the fact that he didn't play Test matches. Ultimately it is the Test record of a player that stands the test of time and is set as a yardstick not the figures in fifty-over ODIs or T20 however impressive the latter may be.
It's another thing that the 1st Test at Lord's was over in three days with England crushing the West Indies by ten wickets. Also in the 2nd Test England won by an innings & 83 runs. It certainly wasn't the best advertisement for the game's traditional format but then of course there are innumerable matches in the shorter versions that are eminently forgettable. But even in such a lop-sided contest there were things to savour. The batting of Ravi Bopara, the bowling of Graeme Swann and debutant Graham Onions and the spell of Fidel Edwards on the first day. It was nice to see a skilful, old fashioned off-spinner at work. Indeed it was good to see Swann get the nod ahead of the overhyped Monty Panesar. With a match haul of six wickets and an unbeaten 63 thrown in, Swann in fact walked away with the man of the match. During “R Bopar’s” career best of 143 in only his fifth Test, the determined right-hander gave enough evidence that he could be England's No. 3 on a long-term basis and Michael Vaughan will have to wait before making a comeback.
Some of the orthodox strokes and the prodigiously swinging or viciously spinning deliveries were the kind you would not see in the shorter version of the game. The textbook is the very essence of Test cricket and an overdose of limited overs cricket can make one yearn for the longer version of the game. Whatever the doomsday experts may say about Test cricket, I for one have always believed that the traditional form of the game will never lose its charm.
Players themselves have always maintained that this is the format they would love to excel in as it is the highest form of the game. Slam bang cricket is time pass. You see a game, enjoy it for what it is worth and hardly remember anything of it. But events of Test cricket stay in your memory throughout time. Bopara himself I am sure would savour his century for more reasons than one. After all, for a batsman it is always a challenge to bat six hours instead of being able to play just six balls or six minutes. A performance in any art form of the highest order should last for a considerable length of time and not be restricted in time, overs and minutes.
My first memories of Test cricket was in 1989 I could not take my eyes off the TV screen as I saw Sanjay Manjrekar bat in the series in Pakistan. This was Test cricket batsmanship at its best, textbook strokes straight out of the coaching manual, chiselled shots, perfect body balance, impeccable timing and execution – all this was the essence of his batting. His correctness of stroke play, his superb defence and the technical precision from which his batting flowered were like manna to the connoisseur of the game in the mad whirl of the one day game. And yes there was the mandatory long innings of 218 in the third Test for which he batted 8½ hours.
And also who can forget Graham Gooch’s fantastic innings of 333 at Lords in July 1990 against India, where he was simply amazing to watch. He scored a mammoth 456 runs in both innings. This was Test cricket batting of the highest quality.
Twenty20 and ODI are enjoyable as entertainment, good for the game and its finances and certainly they have a place in cricket. I too watch and enjoy these games but at the risk of being called old fashioned, let me say it again – there is no real substitute for Test cricket, the engrossing tussle between bat and ball and the elaborate strategic moves and tactical planning. I’m eagerly waiting for the Ashes 2009. Hopefully we will see Test cricket being played at its highest level.