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Test Cricket Zindabad!

Another fine example of what Test cricket can do for us!

Aus v SA....
 
And another classic in the making at Pune.

Cue a fight to the end by India on their home soil with 2nd innings heroics from Kohli.... Watch this space
 
I keep on saying it and will continue to say it. Test cricket CAN be exciting to watch with SPORTING pitches.

How can you blame people for not turning up to Tests played on slow, low phattas where 500+ scores are racked up with ease at snail paced run rates ?

However as we see at Trent Bridge, and with the Colombo pitch in the SL-ZIM game where although the surface is flat there is some turn on offer, there is a MUCH better spectacle for the viewers as there's a contest between bat and ball.

Better pitches, better Tests.
 
I keep on saying it and will continue to say it. Test cricket CAN be exciting to watch with SPORTING pitches.

How can you blame people for not turning up to Tests played on slow, low phattas where 500+ scores are racked up with ease at snail paced run rates ?

However as we see at Trent Bridge, and with the Colombo pitch in the SL-ZIM game where although the surface is flat there is some turn on offer, there is a MUCH better spectacle for the viewers as there's a contest between bat and ball.

Better pitches, better Tests.

Same goes for ODIs. I hate when teams score 350 like every other game. If the average score was around 60-280 with 310 being a really good performance, I'd be happy with that and it would produce good matches.
 
test cricket today is a joke. an outdated format fit for batsmen with no shots and guts but bowlers do need skills for this format.
 
test cricket today is a joke. an outdated format fit for batsmen with no shots and guts but bowlers do need skills for this format.

Really!
Kiddo you can watch Zim vs SL if you want to see how interesting it can get. And that's not even between the top test playing nations.
 
test cricket today is a joke. an outdated format fit for batsmen with no shots and guts but bowlers do need skills for this format.

You're being overly critical, but I do agree with your general sentiment

Test cricket is severely outdated. We get 1 great game and then 6-7 really boring games, they need sweeping changes
 
Really!
Kiddo you can watch Zim vs SL if you want to see how interesting it can get. And that's not even between the top test playing nations.

i dont want to watch a test match between zim and sl and neither do millions of other cricket followers. a nonsense format.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The fantastic England versus West Indies Test at Headingley - a great advert for why Test matches should remain as a 5 day contest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/902588190820851713">August 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">2 brilliant Test matches in 2 days. Shows why Test cricket is the best and the toughest format <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BanvAus?src=hash">#BanvAus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EngvWI?src=hash">#EngvWI</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/902797493498499072">August 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Yeah 2 great matches in very different settings.

The key for administrators/groundsmen- both produced conditions where runs were hard earnt and good bowling could be rewarded.

Test cricket more than any other format needs most matches to played in conditions that give the bowler an even chance. Too many ODI type pitches are produced for tests these days but these two were good, fair pitches even though both were very different and played the way their home conditions should play.
 
Second Ashes Test is quite good.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Test cricket is still the best thing human beings have come up with.</p>— Darren Richman (@darrenrichman) <a href="https://twitter.com/darrenrichman/status/937989117778022400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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I'm really enjoying this Ashes series- England right in the hunt for first few days before being crushed by a late surge from Oz.

Test 2 has been Australia in the ascendancy until a late, desperate surge by England.

Good stuff so far.

Ratings & crowds & even non cricket fans (ladies at work) are saying how much they have enjoyed watching the night session at Adelaide after work.

At least half of tests should be played at night around the world, the buzz generated is far greater & would help the format AND make more money for boards through higher viewing figures.
 
Not sure how the BanvSL game is helping the cause of Test cricket!
 
every drawn game should be penalised by ICC

No. But if on 3rd day of the match it looks like it going to be a draw purely because of wickets not coming then they should be penalised. It all comes down to the pitch rating in the end.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">General consensus from connections in Durban, is that Thursday is a working day & the crowds will improve tomorrow & over the weekend. <br><br>Let’s see! <br><br>Certainly a poor message for Test cricket!</p>— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24/status/969202727677984769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">One man and his dog at SA vs Oz test match!? Just shows the 2020 product just keeps on growing and that’s where Jo Bloggs would rather spend their time and money globally. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/timeforchange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#timeforchange</a></p>— Chris Tremlett (@ChrisTremlett33) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisTremlett33/status/969167455833808896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Test cricket is dieing. I only switch it on for a bit and I really struggle to sit through the slow nature of the game.
 
20-20 has just hit it in the head, even I myself used to be a keen follower of Test cricket but the disappearance of quality bowlers and emergance of T-20 has changed my mindset toward cricket. I find it hard to watch more than a couple of overs . Strangley enough I was more interested in the ICC qualifiers and watched them more intently than any of these 'Top' teams test matches .

Cricket has become a different sport since the emergence of T-20. And I think new teams should be played more often by the top teams in this format.
 
Elgar and Markram might just be the future of SA's batting after their current trio retire. Good times ahead.
 
Test cricket is one of the greatest thing to happen on earth.

The only format where genuine pace is still significant and where you still see some fight between bat and ball. It can be difficult to watch in the subcontinent, but in general on sporting wickets it's cricket at its purest!
 
Enthralling England v Pakistan battle in progress, Test cricket at its best
 
Something wonderful about the first day of a test match. I try to watch the first day first session of as many tests as I can.

Fair occupancy in the ground. Where are the Pakistan supporters though? Where are the test is the best supporters from PP?
 
Ab bolo all of you? #ENGvPAK

rovlta9.jpg
 
In England its always entertaining.

But it’s in places like UAE that it gets quite boring...
 
Another excellent match in progress. You need this format to see who can really bat
 
This is why test cricket is the best of all formats...

Regardless of how this match is going to end, punches and counter punches, great batsmanship and great bowling. If you are good in either discipline you can perform well...twists and turns, the pendulum swinging from one side to another.

If you are a lover of the game, how can one hate such matches even if it lasts for days? Perfect advert for the game and it all started with the pitch - so kudos to the groundsmen!

To both teams - thanks for the entertainment gentlemen - it is riveting!
 
As fascinating as it gets. The Adrenalin flow in this type of game is amazing!
 
Am guessing there are still a few who dont like Tests!
 
Best format, full stop!

Pyjama cricket is for the easily pleased. Test cricket is what I've grown up with and have preferred for yonks. Long may it reign.
 
Am guessing there are still a few who dont like Tests!

What is there to like about test besides looking at scorecard?

In the end, even India who is number one Test team got decimated on an away tour. South Africa #2 test team got decimated in Sri Lanka...such is the nature of test cricket.
 
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What is there to like about test besides looking at Cricinfo scorecard?

In the end, even India who is number one Test team got decimated on an away tour. South Africa #2 test team got decimated in Sri Lanka...such is the nature of test cricket.

But SL still managed to beat Pakistan at home, something AUS, NZ and ENG have failed to do.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TestCricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TestCricket</a> - enough said!</p>— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1025707100389949441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Great fightback from India after the pasting in the last Test. Obviously as a Pakistani I want them to lose but a small, small part of me will be just a little bit happy for them.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">On a positive note - the Abu Dhabi Test match proves that Test cricket is not declining and remains the greatest and most testing format <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvNZ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvNZ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1064500971924013056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Great match between Australia and India. This is what Test cricket is all about.
 
It was a classic at Adelaide. India at 15/3 on Day 1 fighting back to score 250 and just remaining ahead in the game by a narrow margin throughout the match. I thought the fightback from the Aussie tail was quite heroic
 
The purest format, the greatest format and the format that shows the world who really are the best players.
 
The purest format, the greatest format and the format that shows the world who really are the best players.
Wait until a teenager comes and tells you that you are an old budha baba and are not with the times 😁

Acquired taste as I always say to people that get amazed at how I follow test cricket, but once you have acquired it there is no format of cricket better than it. Have always loved test cricket and will always do, even if life doesn't allow me the time to watch full matches now.
 
Test cricket is very much alive and thriving

Test cricket, they have said for a long, long time, before even the advent of the 21st century, is dying. Yet, when it needs it most, new heroes arise; David's against the Goliath of T20 and One Day cricket. This year, this remarkable, beautiful, thrilling year, has seen the ripening of Jason Holder, dragging the West Indies back to the forefront of cricketing headlines. As George Dobell recently wrote, "...perhaps the embers of the fire in Babylon really are starting to glow once more."

On the other side of the planet, at the southern tip of Africa, Sri Lanka pulled off the most remarkable test victory in recent times. They have their own crop of heroes now, young men of passion, vitality and no little cricketing nous. The best of them is likely Kusal Perera. Short and stocky, like his hero Sanath Jayasuriya, with broad forearms and a flashing blade, Perera rattled the South African pace attack. He was patient at first, then decided to take a few risks, all with a watchful eye and fearless intent.

West Indies and Sri Lanka have shown us that there is life yet in test cricket. Even with the continued rise of the shorter formats, an advertisers dream, test cricket provides the romance, the beauty and the shock. We look now to the Caribbean islands and wonder if they can once again produce the fearsome quicks of their past, or if the once plucky Sri Lankans can regain their former glory.

How has this transformation occurred? Well largely thanks to the bowlers and in particular, a crop of fast bowlers, some young, some resurgent, making a mark. Pakistan has always produced such bowlers and in Shaheen Shah Afridi, they may have yet another prodigy. What of the stalwart Muhammad Amir? He is still a handful in the test format. How about Muhammad Abbas? A McGrath like metronome with remarkable numbers. Then there is the fairy tale return of Kemar Roach, the continued power of Shannon Gabriel, the youthful exuberance of Alzarri Joseph, the last legs of Dale Steyn and the X Factor of Kagiso Rabada.

There is brilliance across the field and for the first time, we do not just hear names like Kohli, Root, Smith, Williamson, for they have been great but batting never captures the imagination like the romance of pace. Still to this day there is talk of Lillee, Thompson, Khan, Akram, Younis and the most enigmatic of them all, Akhtar.

However, all this may be a blip, God knows we have been here (who remembers when the likes of Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards first burst onto the scene? Or the shortened brilliance of Simon Jones?) but there is hope. Pitches are not always a batting paradise, the art of reverse swing is making a steady comeback and there is something to look forward to, again and again. Let us pray that the miracle of Durban leads to something more, or that Babylon breathes fire once again.
 
The MCC World Cricket committee has today announced a positive future for Test cricket after reviewing results from the MCC Test Cricket survey.

The meeting of the committee in Bengaluru is into its second day of discussions on current key issues in the game.

Over 13,000 responders from more than 100 countries took part in the survey, with the majority of responders supporting England, India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Overwhelmingly, Test cricket came out as the format that interests fans the most, regardless of country supported or age.

An average of 86% of the responders placed Test cricket as their preferred format to watch, follow and support over One-Day Internationals, T20 Internationals and domestic T20 matches.

Former Sri Lankan captain and record-holding batsman Kumar Sangakkara, who has sat on the MCC World Cricket committee since 2012, said: “Test cricket has had the most incredible year and that has contributed to the strong support for Test cricket.

“With superstars like Virat Kohli leading India to a first-ever Test series win in Australia and winning three ICC awards, including 2018 Cricketer of the Year, there’s a real opportunity – and responsibility – for us all to cement the future of our superb longer form.

“And great Test series like the Windies’ win over England and Sri Lanka’s win in South Africa show there’s huge competition amongst the top countries at the moment and it makes for exciting competition. It is brilliant news fans are backing the great cricket being played the world over.”

The results of the survey supported the findings of the ICC’s first global market research survey, which were announced last year. The ICC found close to 70% of the 19,000 global cricket fans interviewed are interested in Test cricket – with 86% of fans in England and Wales showing interest in the format, more than any other nation.

Responders to the MCC Test cricket survey 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.

While over 50% of responders saying they watch every Test match they can, the survey also highlighted some of the key challenges in increasing the attendances at and support of Test cricket, including:

Addressing the cost and availability of tickets to enable more fans to attend

Increasing access to Test cricket on free-to-air TV

Including half-day tickets to encourage families to attend.

MCC World Cricket committee chairman Mike Gatting said: “It is important we listen to cricket fans to continue to improve their experience of Test match cricket and address their concerns. We want to see Test cricket continue to thrive, especially as more formats of the sport such as The Hundred and T20 leagues gain popularity.

“Having the support of stars such as Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis will encourage a whole new generation to follow Test cricket. Virat has expressed his commitment to maintaining the position of Test cricket at the top of the sport, while off the back of South Africa’s one-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka Faf insisted such matches demonstrate Test cricket is still the number one format.

“When you have high-profile leaders like Virat and Faf being part of hugely exciting series, it shows what Test cricket can be. It is easy to see why the format is viewed as the pinnacle of our sport and we want to see it future-proofed and that could include looking at more day/night Tests, which we can see there is a big demand for, especially in Asia.”

The MCC World Cricket committee is now looking to expand the research and gain deeper understanding of the cricket audience, including commissioning further research with an even broader base and international representation.

“With the committee meeting again at Lord’s in August ahead of the second Ashes Test,” added Gatting, “there is a real opportunity to seek the views of further committee members, discuss this in more depth and produce some considered suggestions to the global game to secure Test cricket for future generations.”

The MCC World Cricket committee has spent two days – Friday 8th and Saturday 9th March – in Bengaluru discussing key topics affecting the world of cricket.

Among the main items on the agenda were:

The future of Test Match cricket, and the results of the MCC survey

The potential inclusion of cricket in the Commonwealth Games in 2022, in women’s competition

The choice of ball in Test Matches
 
Good news for test cricket! Or is it?

Good to see the fans support for test cricket. But the key question is, will they support it with their $$ and eyeballs? Responses to surveys are all good. But actions are what count. Because the reality seems to be quite the contrary.

Outside Eng and Aus, the audience seems to be dwindling to none. Test series have gone from 6 tests to 5 tests to 3 tests to now 2 tests. Can a 1 test "series" be far away. Add to this, ICC's hands off policy on the Test Championship, where they do not want any responsibility in running things. This after dragging their feet on this for a long time.

All this points to little support from the people running Test cricket and the people watching Test cricket. Why? Because test cricket is a money losing event for everyone involved (except ECB & CA).
 
So Ashes and SLvNZ Tests - such great entertainment!

Are we not entertained?
 
Brilliance from Sri Lanka and Ashes Test on a knife edge!
 
Brilliance from Sri Lanka and Ashes Test on a knife edge!

Nailbiter Ashes Test, full of some batting heroics and fantastic fast bowling.

And then people talk about Test cricket as if it was some disease!
 
Watch watch and watch again - the king of all formats
 
David Gower trolling Indian fans: "no matter how many millions they get paid from IPL, the standard of cricket is vastly inferior to Test Cricket" :))

Unlike the WC final, it was nice the crowd not dominated by the so-called melanin infested "neutrals".
 
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David Gower trolling Indian fans: "no matter how many millions they get paid from IPL, the standard of cricket is vastly inferior to Test Cricket" :))

Unlike the WC final, it was nice the crowd not dominated by the so-called melanin infested "neutrals".

but the standard of marketing and branding is beyond top in IP
 
Amazing how Stokes went from playing at a 33 SR to smashing sixes every over, truely class
 
Still nobody remembers who won the IPL three years ago. Compare that circus to this match and everyone will be talking about this match in the future. :inti

The cricket is seperate.

The branding and marketing is wjat i am talking about. IPL has become a brand and that brand itself is what makes ipl a cash cow, not the cricket.

Ashes is good test cricket but not a brand.

The level of marketing for both differs
 
The cricket is seperate.

The branding and marketing is wjat i am talking about. IPL has become a brand and that brand itself is what makes ipl a cash cow, not the cricket.

Ashes is good test cricket but not a brand.

The level of marketing for both differs

of course. that is because t20 leagues and t20 teams are made solely to give profit to corporations
 
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