Would you support day/night test cricket ?

[Gunner_Mania]

As a 17-year-old, Sachin Tendulkar batted nearly four hours on the final day to save a Test match for India at Old Trafford. It was the first of his 47 centuries and remains one of the most memorable. Last November, he faced a voracious media pack at a gathering to celebrate two decades in the international arena. It was envisaged as a two-hour event, but he ended up answering questions for longer than he had batted that day in Manchester all those years ago. Despite the same questions being asked again and again in a variety of languages, he was as composed as he had been when facing Devon Malcolm, Angus Fraser, Eddie Hemmings and Chris Lewis. The Australian Associated Press's Daniel Brettig wrote afterwards: "Through it all he never slipped up, answering each question with respect and care, and never offering anything but the straightest of bats." One quote from that evening was to become headline news. And as the TV channels and newspapers played up his disenchantment with the politics of regional chauvinism – "Mumbai belongs to all Indians. I am a Maharashtrian and am extremely proud of that. But I am an Indian first," he said when asked about the anti-immigrant stances taken by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and its big brother, the Shiv Sena – another telling line was lost in the white noise. Tendulkar does not grace the front page of tabloids. He does not have Dennis Rodman-like body art. The chances of him endorsing Viagra in middle age are exceedingly slim, as is the likelihood of him grabbing his crotch and treating detractors to a volley of abuse after a game. Though he does not have the wild streak that sometimes lets down Wayne Rooney, there are certain similarities with the once-a-blue-always-a-blue who is most comfortable out on the field. Put a microphone in front of them and they can be shy and inhibited. On the patch of grass that they own, they become virtuosos. Tendulkar knows the value of words, though, and when he speaks, a nation listens. So, that afternoon, when he spoke passionately about India's step-motherly treatment of the five-day game, those associated with it took notice. The Indian Cricket Board may be the Microsoft of world cricket, but its functionaries are not immune to public opinion. And in Indian cricket, few dictate that quite like Tendulkar. "We should play more Test cricket for sure," he said that day. "It's obviously not great news that we are only playing five Tests this season. Ideally, for any team to progress, you need to play more Test cricket as that is where the real cricket is according to me. Test cricket is cricket of the highest level and at the end of each day it allows you to regroup, re-think, come up with fresh ideas and plan for the next day. Sometimes, in Twenty20 and ODIs, even before you realise, the match is over." His comments emboldened others to have their say. Rahul Dravid, McCartney to Tendulkar's Lennon for so long, spoke of how the BCCI needed to use its clout to ensure that Test matches were the marquee events of each domestic season. "Everyone around the world needs to recognise that Test cricket needs to thrive in India," he told Cricinfo. "Everyone knows now that it is important Test cricket succeeds in India for it to succeed worldwide as well. People have to come to this realisation in some other countries and recognise that India now needs to have a set international calendar for the benefit of the world game really." Even MS Dhoni, derided by so many after he opted to miss a Test series in Sri Lanka in 2008, expressed a desire to play more five-day cricket. And the oft-stated view that Indians had fallen out of love with men in white clothes was made to look ridiculous by the packed crowds for games against Sri Lanka in Kanpur and South Africa in Kolkata. Call it pride or jingoism or what you will, but thousands who looked at the Test rankings and liked what they saw came through the turnstiles and endured facilities that no punter in the UK or Australia has to tolerate. And yet, Lalit Modi told the Guardian he is certain that Twenty20 cricket will become the dominant form of the game in the not-too-distant future, that Test cricket will wither and die unless games are played under lights. It's all too easy to dismiss him as a charlatan with an agenda, but the points he raises need to be addressed by administrators. England usually has no problem selling out Tests because the venues are small and games are played in summer when a holiday can be planned around a match or two. The same is true of Australia where the summer schedule appears to be etched in stone. In India, though, as this column has previously pointed out, there are no traditional Tests. With matches seldom scheduled around festivals or holidays, even those who want to watch Tests are often unable to. Three decades ago, someone like my uncle could take a train to Madras (as Chennai was known then) from Kerala, pack lunches every morning and watch Gundappa Viswanath make a double-hundred against Keith Fletcher's Englishmen. In those days of Nehruvian socialism, such indulgences were not uncommon. With the advent of economic liberalisation and 60-hour working weeks, sparing upward of 35 hours to watch a Test simply isn't an option. Modi speaks primarily of his fiefdom and of other parts of the subcontinent where Tests are played out in near-eerie silence. He's right when he says that people can no longer afford to take days off to humour such a habit. Maintaining tradition is one thing, but is it really worth risking extinction for it? When probes have been sent to Mars and you can voice-chat in real time with someone in Buenos Aires, is it really so difficult to produce a white or pink ball that will stay intact for 80 overs under lights? Is keeping the ball red more important than keeping Test cricket in good health? Given that Indian business houses account for so much of the game's income, any steps taken to boost Test cricket's popularity in the subcontinent must be encouraged. If playing under lights is the only way to get back the sort of crowds you had two decades ago, then so be it. Tendulkar, who revelled in that Eden Gardens roar as he scored a century last month, certainly wouldn't complain.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/mar/03/sachin-tendulkar-india-cricket

[Aniruddha]

D/N test- never........already so many states r fighting wit d problrm of electricity

[CSK Fan]

One of the issues in limited overs cricket, is the effect that dew, playing under lights, etc. have on the outcome of the game in day/night matches. Now suddenly this won't be a problem in Test cricket? .

But wouldnt that affect both teams equally?

[Pak_Forever]

Test cricket = :fail: regardless

If you call yourself cricket lover then your love for cricket = :fail: Colorful pajama cricket is fun but nowhere near the twists and turns and test of a real Test :winky:

[Jersey #10]

I will try not to into a slanging match abt this ... but there is a format that appeals to everyone. As you can see from this board itself, there are those of us who mostly follow tests, some for whom ODIs are sacrosanct and a growing contingent who think 20/20 is cat's whiskers. ODIs will disappear in the near future. Tests will remain - perhaps in a more limited way between nations where in stadia and TV audiences still exist for it.

If you call yourself cricket lover then your love for cricket = :fail: Colorful pajama cricket is fun but nowhere near the twists and turns and test of a real Test :winky:

I guess we are trying to save test format:dance: aren't we? :two_thumbs_up: The amount of crowd on the test locations proves my point :finger: The poor format is dying hence we must save it :yay:

[thevortex]

Dont be too quick in dismissing Test cricket, transparent! If you want to look at crowds, look at Eden Gardens. See how they were into the game all 5 days. Blame the BCCI and Modi who is in charge of the marketing wing of the BCCI for scheduling Tests in out of the way places where people cannot even get in as the ground is too far away from the city! The fact is, no matter how much the lovers of T20 try to denigrate Tests, the format springs to life immediately. That is the power of romance. Speaking for myself I can remember so many Test match innings and bowling performances. How many T20 bowling performances do you remember? Or even batting performances? That is not to say that T20s are not fun. They are. But to put them ahead of Test cricket is to try and ask the tail to wag the head, sort of.

[nballa]

probably the most useless idea of all time. lol who watches ball by ball test cricket at nights when there are other things to do (wink)? test cricket is like a dramatic play to be followed during certain periods of the day culminating in an epic climax.

[Guest DeveGowda]

In india one of the best way to take matches to out of the Main Centers ...as Dravid told Places like mysore with good pitches and small capacity can easily fill grounds... (i just gave Mysore as a example..i dont think they have capacity currently to hold testn matches..but BCCI can improve such stadiums)

[Chandan]

Just read Dileep Premchandran's blog on guardian on the same subject. The parts relevent to the topic here are:

Tendulkar knows the value of words, though, and when he speaks, a nation listens. So, that afternoon, when he spoke passionately about India's step-motherly treatment of the five-day game, those associated with it took notice. The Indian Cricket Board may be the Microsoft of world cricket, but its functionaries are not immune to public opinion. And in Indian cricket, few dictate that quite like Tendulkar. "We should play more Test cricket for sure," he said that day. "It's obviously not great news that we are only playing five Tests this season. Ideally, for any team to progress, you need to play more Test cricket as that is where the real cricket is according to me. Test cricket is cricket of the highest level and at the end of each day it allows you to regroup, re-think, come up with fresh ideas and plan for the next day. Sometimes, in Twenty20 and ODIs, even before you realise, the match is over." His comments emboldened others to have their say. Rahul Dravid, McCartney to Tendulkar's Lennon for so long, spoke of how the BCCI needed to use its clout to ensure that Test matches were the marquee events of each domestic season. "Everyone around the world needs to recognise that Test cricket needs to thrive in India," he told Cricinfo. "Everyone knows now that it is important Test cricket succeeds in India for it to succeed worldwide as well. People have to come to this realisation in some other countries and recognise that India now needs to have a set international calendar for the benefit of the world game really." Even MS Dhoni, derided by so many after he opted to miss a Test series in Sri Lanka in 2008, expressed a desire to play more five-day cricket. And the oft-stated view that Indians had fallen out of love with men in white clothes was made to look ridiculous by the packed crowds for games against Sri Lanka in Kanpur and South Africa in Kolkata. Call it pride or jingoism or what you will, but thousands who looked at the Test rankings and liked what they saw came through the turnstiles and endured facilities that no punter in the UK or Australia has to tolerate. And yet, Lalit Modi told the Guardian he is certain that Twenty20 cricket will become the dominant form of the game in the not-too-distant future, that Test cricket will wither and die unless games are played under lights. It's all too easy to dismiss him as a charlatan with an agenda, but the points he raises need to be addressed by administrators. England usually has no problem selling out Tests because the venues are small and games are played in summer when a holiday can be planned around a match or two. The same is true of Australia where the summer schedule appears to be etched in stone. In India, though, as this column has previously pointed out, there are no traditional Tests. With matches seldom scheduled around festivals or holidays, even those who want to watch Tests are often unable to. Three decades ago, someone like my uncle could take a train to Madras (as Chennai was known then) from Kerala, pack lunches every morning and watch Gundappa Viswanath make a double-hundred against Keith Fletcher's Englishmen. In those days of Nehruvian socialism, such indulgences were not uncommon. With the advent of economic liberalisation and 60-hour working weeks, sparing upward of 35 hours to watch a Test simply isn't an option. Modi speaks primarily of his fiefdom and of other parts of the subcontinent where Tests are played out in near-eerie silence. He's right when he says that people can no longer afford to take days off to humour such a habit. Maintaining tradition is one thing, but is it really worth risking extinction for it? When probes have been sent to Mars and you can voice-chat in real time with someone in Buenos Aires, is it really so difficult to produce a white or pink ball that will stay intact for 80 overs under lights? Is keeping the ball red more important than keeping Test cricket in good health? Given that Indian business houses account for so much of the game's income, any steps taken to boost Test cricket's popularity in the subcontinent must be encouraged. If playing under lights is the only way to get back the sort of crowds you had two decades ago, then so be it. Tendulkar, who revelled in that Eden Gardens roar as he scored a century last month, certainly wouldn't complain.

Ok, it is quite obvious that none of test match lovers would ever like to see this great game die. But is day-night test the only option to save it? I don't think so. If the administrators at BCCI take a little interest and schedule these matches a little thoughtfully, it might bring the see change. And we all know that any format of cricket needs to flourish in India, if it has to survive. It is just the carelessness of BCCI administration which is driving the spectators away from this great format. One of the comments on the blog is ;

BangaloreKid 3 Mar 2010, 3:46PM @satish1- Where did you get this logic that inorder to be a successful executive in cricket you need to watch a test match in entirety? For a moment take off your hat where you hate Modi so much and then think if all is well with test cricket in India/sub-continent. You could say flat pitches are the reason but it was the same case in 80s and 90s also but the crowd numbers now are insignificant compared to those who attended tests in late 80s and 90s where Eden Gardens used to be sold out and other venues filled to more than 50-60% capacity as well on flat tracks. What changed is the viewing pattern of the consumer. A holistic approach is needed to revive test cricket in subcontinent. Here some of the things that would help immensely. 1. Lively pitches 2. Day-night tests 3. Better stadia experience (mix of other entertainment at the stadia to keep people engaged) 4. Better scheduling pattern (# of tests in a series, when and where it is scheduled etc.,) 5. Quality of opposition. Now day-nighter s for tests might not be needed for UK where test matches draw healthy crowds but why not use it in sub-continent. Modi heads the marketing arm of BCCI and he is conveying what broadcasters are telling him. You can ignore it at your own peril because you dislike Modi. That wont help the cause of tests at all. Also I always hear test match supporters trash T20 and support tests loudly on these forums but the stadiums are always empty for tests. Ever wonder that you might be in the minority and the silent majority is just not into rebutting your claims here on these cricket articles? Think about it.

I would add a 6th point about selling eash day's ticket separately and having tests at venues which are not 20 km away from the city. Keep those stadiums for ODI and T20s. I think Rahul Dravid's idea is great. If people know about the schedule since a year, they can always plan in advance. And please , a little better facilities at stadium won't hurt any format of the game and will immensely help the test viewers.

[someone]

May I ask a simple question? Where has this love from test cricket came from? It was just last year we either BCCI did not care about test cricket. Many main matches were T20 world cup and IPL. Now suddenly India become No.1, there is a need to continue this format both from BCCI and us.

[Chandan]

Love for tests among the spectators exists since ages. Are you talking about BCCI's love? If yes, then they don't love anything apart from money. And whatever brings money for them is lovable to them. I still don't see any love from them for tests.

[thevortex]

Hmm...I guess Chandan beat me with his answer to someone :). Yes, it is not as if Test matches are a fad. Something struck me about that comment on the Cricinfo blog. The demand for in stadia entertainment. I hope to god that is not an excuse to pitch fork cheerleaders in Test cricket :). I also dont think day-night Tests are the only solution to help Test matches gain more popularity. In fact I am not even sure that they are the right solution. Dileep Premachandran reduces the equation down to the colour of the ball. I dont think it is that simple. What are they going to do about spinners being rendered impotent in day/night matches? Will captains have to ensure that the spinners get to bowl before the sun sets? Whatever happened to early morning moisture and the assistance for the faster bowlers? So on so forth. In the first place, I dont think there is too much wrong with the way Test matches are played today. The BCCI needs to wake up and realize that their team also plays other forms of cricket than ODIs and T20s. And that Tests need to be scheduled not on a quota basis but at venues which have a rich history and an audience which understands cricket. And the point about scheduling Tests on holidays and around them is also correct.

[cowboysfan]

i see a lot of things which can be improved from how test matches are played today.from recent tests in the subcontinent in the winter we were losing almost a day out of the 5 days due to fog,bad light etc.I disagree with modi on the point of diminished spectators in the grounds.we have had very large crowds in major centers,we only have empty stadiums when it is played in grounds like nagpur.the whole point is moot as far as i am concerned as long as they show that the colored ball can last atleast 70 overs and dew will not significantly affect the ball.

[Chandan]

Hmm...I guess Chandan beat me with his answer to someone :). Yes, it is not as if Test matches are a fad. Something struck me about that comment on the Cricinfo blog. The demand for in stadia entertainment. I hope to god that is not an excuse to pitch fork cheerleaders in Test cricket :). I also dont think day-night Tests are the only solution to help Test matches gain more popularity. In fact I am not even sure that they are the right solution. Dileep Premachandran reduces the equation down to the colour of the ball. I dont think it is that simple. What are they going to do about spinners being rendered impotent in day/night matches? Will captains have to ensure that the spinners get to bowl before the sun sets? Whatever happened to early morning moisture and the assistance for the faster bowlers? So on so forth. In the first place, I dont think there is too much wrong with the way Test matches are played today. The BCCI needs to wake up and realize that their team also plays other forms of cricket than ODIs and T20s. And that Tests need to be scheduled not on a quota basis but at venues which have a rich history and an audience which understands cricket. And the point about scheduling Tests on holidays and around them is also correct.

Vortex, I'm a she not a he.:regular_smile: I also do not think that we need a day-night test to save this unique format of cricket. Just the choice of pitch, venues, proper schedule, better stadium facility and and a strong opposition will do it. And dancing girls are extremely boring and sometimes irritating too, even in T20s. This guy must have meant something else as entertainment. Even Tendulkar had mentioned about having a competition for most creative placards among the spectators and at the end of the day, the winner could meet his choice of player from either team, shake hands or have a photograph. These kind of things, might engage the spectators even during the sedate passages of game when not much is happening. Similar ideas can be thought of, but no dancing girls, but God's sake.

[thevortex]

Oops Chandan, I did not know. Beg pardon. It is refreshing to see a lady being this interested in cricket. My wife gives the game an odd moment or two, but that is about it. But I am not in a position to complain too much considering she does read all the tosh I write :). Got to ask you Chandan - do you not find the use of cheerleaders in such sporting contests to be a sexist act? I for one have always detested the use of cheerleaders in sporting competitions. I mean, there are lots of things to be taken away from US of A. Could the IPL not find anything better than cheerleaders? I have no problem related to televising titillating programs. But then there are better programs for that rather than mixing it and cricket, in my opinion. What are your thoughts?

[Chandan]

Oops Chandan, I did not know. Beg pardon. It is refreshing to see a lady being this interested in cricket. My wife gives the game an odd moment or two, but that is about it. But I am not in a position to complain too much considering she does read all the tosh I write :). Got to ask you Chandan - do you not find the use of cheerleaders in such sporting contests to be a sexist act? I for one have always detested the use of cheerleaders in sporting competitions. I mean, there are lots of things to be taken away from US of A. Could the IPL not find anything better than cheerleaders? I have no problem related to televising titillating programs. But then there are better programs for that rather than mixing it and cricket, in my opinion. What are your thoughts?

I don't think dancing girls are needed anywhere on a cricket field. Cricket lovers watch the match for cricket, not these gimmicks and this is my opinion. Surprisingly my teenager son thinks so too.

[thevortex]

Good on you and cheers to your son! I will admit that it is a surprise though. :)

[akshayxyz]

Why not have a soap-opera kind of model, daily 2.5 hours of test cricket 9-11:30 pm, 5 days a week spread over 3 weeks. ;)

[Feed]

Endangered species of Test cricket lacks will to survive: Simon Barnes As the Indian Premier League kicked off in all its splendid vulgarity last Friday, what did Test cricket put up in opposition? Answer: Bangladesh v England. More... Endangered species of Test cricket lacks will to survive Simon Barnes, Chief Sports Writer As the Indian Premier League kicked off in all its splendid vulgarity last Friday, what did Test cricket put up in opposition? Answer: Bangladesh v England, as poor a Test match as has ever been played. That’s if you don’t count the time when Sunil Gavaskar kept India’s first innings going from day one until day four. You only had to watch the Test match for a few minutes for the eyes start to glaze, and the thought to enter the mind: in the name of what are we doing this? It went wrong before a ball was bowled, as Shakib al Hasan won the toss and opted to bowl, a decision based purely on funk. Well, it can’t have been based on the consternation his new-ball bowlers would cause. This was as feeble a seam attack as has ever been seen in first-class cricket, never mind Test cricket. We hear a lot about the good spirit of this young, talented but necessarily inexperienced side. Fielding is the clue to a side’s morale, and this Bangladesh team suffered a fielding collapse. So Bangladesh at last got a bat and succeeded only in demonstrating the age-old principle that if you bat one-day style in a Test match, your innings will lack substance. England played their part in the dismal spectacle, duly grinding Bangladesh into the dust and then inexplicably choosing to bat again, rather than enforce the follow-on. This brought us the one intriguing aspect of the match: England’s semi-collapse was caused by the dizzying luxury of batting with too many runs in the tank. I’m all for Bangladesh, all for expanding Test cricket, but there is no point in playing against a team who cannot play five-day cricket. Nobody learns, nobody gains. It’s hard to know which of the England batsmen to despise more — those who filled their boots, or those who failed to. I write a fair bit about extinction in my capacity as wildlife writer for this newspaper. And it seems to me with this match, Test cricket has taken a decisive step towards the Critically Endangered category. Bangladesh is supposed to be a cricket-mad country; its cricketers were playing against the country with the most powerful cultural meaning for them and hardly anybody showed up apart from the Barmy Army. Test cricket is losing the will to live. It is increasingly played out of duty rather than love. The basic unit of top-class cricket — nation against nation — is being challenged by the IPL. These days, a liking for Test cricket is not seen as evidence of a profound engagement with the sport, but as straightforward fartism. I have never felt as gloomy about the future of Test cricket as I have watching this dreadful match unfold. The financial might of the game now rests in India and this wealth is based on the number of advertisements that can be shown in the course of a one-day match. This is a soulless way to establish the core values of the any activity, still less a sport that has meanings beyond the commercial — at least for its audience. Test cricket is being run into the ground, more or less with the connivance of the ICC. Now believe me, I know there is a place in the world for the pop song, the magazine and one-day cricket, but there is also a place for the symphony, the novel and the Test match. It seems that cricket itself is trying to destroy the Test match. It’s as if the forces of conservation had turned against the panda.

[bhajji]

Well whenever i use to hear aboutendangered species or extint species,i could imagine only two figures. Indian tigers Indian bowlers. I know the tigers have nothing to do with this thread but obviously bowlers ought too. Now adys indian bowlers have become an endangered species beisdes Harbhajan singh.