Over the last 70-odd years the sword of Damocles has dangled perilously like a razor sharp guillotine over the game of Test cricket. In more recent times, many pundits and critics have been predicting its inevitable demise, falling just short of writing its epitaph.
Test cricket has faced countless hurdles to arrive at its current state of existence after 145 years. In the late 1950s, the game was somnambulating following a series of dull and dreary matches. It then got an unexpected shot in the arm, when the West Indies toured Australia in 1960-61, and were involved in the most exciting Test series since the Second World War, as the crowds returned to the game.
The advent of the First One Day International in 1971, the subsequent Prudential World Cup in 1975, and the debut of Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket two years later, once again, begot the naysayers on the longest version of the game. The arrival of the Twenty20 International in 2005 and its ever increasing popularity with cricketing audiences seemingly sounded the death knell of Test cricket.
On the contrary, it might not have been grasped by all and sundry at that point in time, but these evolutions might have actually contributed to the enhancement of Test cricket. Tim de Lisle, in 2003, his sole year as editor of the Wisden Cricketers Almanack, observed in the Notes by the Editor, “Far from being undermined or overshadowed by the growth of one day internationals, Test cricket has sharpened up its act. One-day cricket, often regarded as a little trollop lowering her older sister’s standards, has actually enabled her to let her hair down.”
On Saturday, 9th March, 2019, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the custodians of the laws of cricket, announced the results of a survey which polled 13,000 fans from more than 100 countries on the format of the game they preferred. According to the statement from the London-based MCC, 86 percent of the fans voted for Test cricket. “Responders still consider the Test format to be the pinnacle of cricket and the favourite format of cricket to attend, follow and watch, with respondents describing the game as the ‘ultimate’ form of cricket,” the MCC said.
The initial World Test Championship under the auspices of the ICC which concluded last summer with New Zealand taking the first lien on the trophy, no doubt has sparked a much renewed interest in Test cricket. However, it has been completely rebooted (to borrow an apt modern technology phrase) over the past few months thanks to the bravery and willingness of two men to put everything on the line. Brendon McCullum, a New Zealander who was appointed coach of England in May, and Ben Stokes, newly appointed England Captain, have turned the game of Test cricket on its head with their innovative strategies and approach. For want of a better term, these two maverick thinkers can now be termed ‘cricket revolutionaries.’
In this dramatic engineering turnaround, England has now reeled off four wins in a row, after previously winning only one of their 17 matches. Critics may be quick to point out that England were playing at home and the conditions were in their favour. On the contrary, the pressure is increased on home turf, and this is basically the same England side (albeit with Jimmy Anderson and Chris Broad now) which left the Caribbean only four months ago with their heads hung low following a 1 – 0 series loss to an average West Indies team. Let’s not forget that England’s recent opponents New Zealand and India, were the finalists in last year’s World Test Championship, and are currently ranked fifth and second, respectively, in the ICC standings.
Most surprising was the manner of England’s victories; gained whilst achieving the ultimate challenge in Test cricket. Their four consecutive four inning run chases, a feat without precedent in the long history of Test cricket, included targets of 277, 299, 296, and finally an English record of 378. Only five times in Test history has a team chased down 290-plus scores at a rate of 4.5 an over – three of them were England in the last month. No one could have predicted these events, except perhaps the architects, who have delivered likewise, and knew what they speaketh of. How can anyone forget Stokes’ swashbuckling century two years ago when he led England to the most improbable one wicket victory over Australia as they surpassed a target of 362? And McCullum’s farewell Test match in which he plundered the fastest century in Test cricket?
England’s newly found (or instilled?) positive approach to Test cricket can be viewed as a spin-off of the one day game where teams have developed the mindset of chasing down scores over 250 as the order of the day. However, it’s much more than the mental approach on the field of play; there’s the atmosphere created off the field by the duo in charge. Their rather unorthodox relaxed rule to arrive half hour before the start of play, optional warming up and allowing the player to dictate his time at nets can be interpreted as management’s vote of confidence in the players and focusing their energies on the game itself. This apparent casual approach is not without precedent, and management’s trust in the players can only heighten their confidence. In 1980, Nottingham Forest Football Club, under the shrewd eyes of Brian Clough, prepared for their successful defence of the European Cup against Hamburg in Madrid, by chilling at their hotel poolside for an entire week without even once practising so much as a free kick.
The late West Indian Test cricketer Reg Scarlett, who went on to become a coach, commentator and director of the West Indies Cricket Academy, once laughingly related that there was a sign mounted on the wall behind his desk which read, “Test cricket is a dying game”. The quote was taken from an article in the Times newspaper in the 1880s. Scarlett was a huge fan of cricket, especially Test cricket, and it’s a great pity that he is no longer with us to witness this turnaround. More importantly, he would have enquired whether the West Indies are taking notes.
The McCullum-Stokes partnership has only just begun, and we are sure to witness more resourceful tinkering within the longest format. Their refreshing stratagems might be the most important modifications to the game since Packer’s World Series Cricket, the tinkering of the LBW law and the introduction of the DRS. The litmus test of their experiments will surely come when England host South Africa next month for a three-Test series or visit Pakistan in November. At some stage, England will be faced with restricting a fourth-inning run chase, and their manoeuvres will capture the attention of Test cricket fans around the world who will be following every moment for sure.
The obituary writers can cover their ink pots and put away their quills for the time being, Test Cricket has been rebooted.
