India will play 2000th test !!

[Gotham Cronie]

Trent Bridge is actually 2,000th Test

On The Front Foot: Trent Bridge is actually 2,000th Test – and the Rest is not history By Stephen Brenkley Sunday, 24 July 2011 It has been widely publicised that the Test match in progress at Lord's is the 2,000th. Poppycock, of course. The occasion has been wonderful and Lord's has been characteristically grand even when it has been tipping down, but it has not been the extra-special event we have been led to believe by the International Cricket Council. This is either Test match No 1,999 – with the 2,000th at Trent Bridge next week – or it is No 2,005. The ICC are having it both ways at present. Included in their list of Tests is the high-class exhibition between Australia and the Rest of the World in late 2005. Those were the days when Australia were cocks of the walk (remember them), and though it was slightly inconvenient that they had just lost the 2005 Ashes to England, the ICC in their infinite wisdom decided the match should have official status. The whole idea of Test matches is that they should be between teams representing countries. However, the ICC made the judgement and that was that. But they have steadfastly refused to recognise the five matches between England and the Rest of the World in 1970 as official Tests. They were extremely entertaining and skilful encounters, arranged after the cancellation of South Africa's tour that summer. For years they were recorded in Wisden as official Tests, but then the ICC decreed they were not. And that, too, was that. The greatest individual casualty was the Glamorgan opening batsman Alan Jones. He played for England in the first of the five matches, at Lord's, making 5 and 0, and was never picked again. He was alone in that regard. All others who appeared also played in matches deemed official. There is not the remotest chance of the ICC changing their mind about 1970 (unless India ask them), though those matches have more right to proper recognition since they formed a genuine series, rather than a one-off jamboree. If they were to be counted, the 2,000th match would have been the First Test between England and Sri Lanka, at Cardiff and forgettable in every aspect except its climax. Trent Bridge next week, it is.

So Tendulkar still has a chance to score his 100th century in the 2,000 test :) http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/on-the-front-foot-trent-bridge-is-actually-2000th-test-ndash-and-the-rest-is-not-history-2319476.html