TESTing Times!

Focus. Concentration. Patience. Perseverance. Dogged Resolution. Strong Will Power. Never-say-die Attitude. Adaptability. Great Spunk and Stamina - Physical & Mental. Consistency. Endurance. The admirable qualities that define the hallmark of a true test player who battles and grinds themselves against average and tough oppositions in tricky, unplayable and alien conditions. The sheer pleasure of watching a team fighting tooth and nail for their survival either on seaming & swinging conditions of Day 1 or the unpredictable turn & variable bounce on Day 4/5 is what makes Test Cricket to stand heads above than the other forms of cricket. Though Test Cricket has undergone extensive changes till date since its inception in 1887, the bedrock of the longer format remains the same - the one who adapts exceptionally well to the surroundings and has the necessary skills & techniques to execute their range of defence and shots can not only survive but also flourish even on demonic tracks. The beauty of the game is such that the highly agile & dynamic AB De Villiers, who holds the fastest record for scoring 50, 100 and 150 runs in ODIs, was happy defending against the Aussies in their own hunting ground by scoring a mere 33 runs from 220 deliveries without a boundary! You need to be flexible enough to constantly adapt as the situation demands to fit into the conditions of the game for longer periods in the longer format of the sport.

For purists and sticklers to conventions, Test Cricket still remains and would remain to be the crowning glory for eternity. However, the spectators do not seem to match their interests actively. The waning popularity of test matches was evident from the vacant stadiums in West Indies & other parts of the world and the meteoric rise of T20s. Also, it can be attributed to other factors like lack of sponsorships citing the evaporating interest of test cricket with the current generation & IPL and other T20 formats which occupies a significant chunk of the cricket calendar. Test Cricket desperately needed a new fresh of air to match the pulse of the current generation who are always in a hurried need of instant gratification. The change was contemplated and deliberated for a while and then it happened. The neighbours, Australia and New Zealand, were to lock horns with each other in what is to be the world's first day/night test cricket!

Adelaide was the venue to host this new innovation to revamp and cast test cricket in a bright light under floodlights! Though the match was won by Australia and securely wrapped up the series, it was the match which ultimately caught the attention and hearts of not only the spectators but also broadcasters and administrators. The game brought in a whopping 120000 people in the 3 days that the match had lasted. Not to mention the equal balance between the ball and bat for both the teams. Although the contest got completed in 3 days time, both the teams struggled against the seaming pink Kookaburra cherry in the lights. The world also witnessed the world's first dinner break in the entire 138 year Test Cricket History. It is sure to go into the annals of chapters as a truly memorable and cherishable event. Likewise, the captains of Australia and New Zealand, Smith and Baz, have already acknowledged and accepted the resounding triumph of the game's newfangled concept. Though certain modifications needed to be done as far as the ball is concerned as the batsmen found it difficult to read the seam of the pink cherry, changes will be surely be made for the better to improve the overall quality of the game. For ardent cricket lovers who are really passionate and care about the 5 day competition,  the Day/Night test has indeed resuscitated test cricket from the dead giving the much needed spark and impetus for this gentleman's game to prosper for perpetuity.