KOLKATA: If you are at the Eden Gardens, you are bound to get a feeling that Test cricket has got a shot in the arm. There are fans in front of ticket counters which are closed, hoping against hope that they would open, even though authorities have already announced that the first four days are sold out. The clamour for tickets may not have matched what is seen during the IPL, but there are many returning empty-handed.
At the same time, it is impossible to not hear discussions whether the India-Bangladesh day-night Test will get over in three or four days, like the first one in Indore, or for that matter on many occasions in the recent past. That’s the trend in most places, not just in series pitting India against one of the lesser teams. Test matches are not going the distance and the polarisation of power is getting starker with almost every series. It indicates that this format is not in the pink of health.
While authorities everywhere are expecting the World Test Championship and the day-night venture to revive interest in the longest version by making the viewing experience unique and more exciting, perhaps not as much thought is given to making the game more appealing as a contest. For that to happen, the participants have to be evenly matched. At the moment, barring India, England, Australia and New Zealand to an extent, others are unable to match up to the expected standards.
Alarmingly for Test cricket, not only have the West Indies shown no sign of turning things around, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa have also revealed symptoms that not all is well within their system. Corruption, shortage of funds and players losing interest in playing for the country are some of these symptoms. Bangladesh have not been a Test entity in the real sense of the word despite nearly 20 years at this level and the less said of Zimbabwe the better.
As an ever-charming Eden Gardens gets ready to enamour fans with the pink-ball opera under lights from Friday, a question bugging authorities should be the health and future of Test cricket. Innovation is welcome, but will the shining wrapper be enough to save a product that lacks life? Or should equal importance be given to making the competition more enjoyable?
Virat Kohli acknowledges the gap is getting wider and says that those who run cricket and those who play are equally responsible. “You can say that (one half getting stronger and the other weaker). This (the solution) requires commitment from players towards Test cricket. Also, the boards must ensure that Test specialists are properly looked after. Countries doing well (in Tests) have done this. For example, the board in India has made sure there is enough incentive to play this format.”
The India skipper added that this becomes all the more important because of the riches on offer for playing shorter formats. “T20 and all take care of themselves. It’s Test cricket that needs nurturing. Those who do well in this format toil for five-six years in the first-class circuit and retain the hunger to do that again at the international level. You can’t expect them to do that if they are not paid well. That’s why central contracts and other incentives for Test specialists are important.”
Come Friday and all eyes would be on Eden. For a while, visibility of the pink ball and the effect of dew might become national talking points. It is also likely that authorities will be giving happy soundbites on the success of the day-night enterprise. At the same time, with the spectre of another early finish looming, officials responsible for the development of the game will do well to spare a thought on how to stop cricket from degenerating into an uneven contest between the haves and have nots.