Makeover Of Test Cricket: Pink Ball And Flood Lights

Test cricket has always been a victim of apathy. With the advent of T20s, the longest format in cricket is struggling to remain relevant in the era of slam bang. Will the usage of a pink ball and flood lights change the fate of Test cricket, asks Jaidev

- Jaidev

Test cricket is the ultimate test for any player, and we should do the utmost to preserve it. No other format is an adequate substitute for Test cricket.- Gary Sobers (legendary West Indian cricketer)

The Test-match is unlike any other format in cricket. Spread over five days, the age-old format tests players for endurance, skill and patience — qualities which make the format very challenging. In the last three decades, as cricket became one of the most watched spectator sports, an increasingly busy (one can also say ‘impatient’) world has demanded the game to be short and sweet — hence the coming in of the one day cricket format and finally the T20 format. While the shorter formats required the game to be more power-packed, competitive and urgent, test cricket remains the biggest challenge for any player. It is a format for specialists, whether batsmen or bowlers. There is no place for itsy-bitsy players here such as a batsman who can bowl a bit or a bowler who can bat a bit. While many new players have excelled in ODIs and T20s, they have failed to get going in test matches. For instance, Suresh Raina and Michael Bevan, two of the finest ODI specialists, have been unable to replicate similar success in tests. Both have found the going tough in the most gruelling format of the game.

For the past few years, especially after India’s 2007 t20 World Cup win, interest in test cricket started to wane. Even while scheduling a bilateral series, cricket boards have always given more emphasis to T20s and ODIs.