Hats off to Test Cricket

[fineleg]

No matter who wins Eng vs WI, what a gripping match. Hats off to Test cricket :hatsoff: Fascinating this game of Test cricket. Especially in these days of thoothukudi circus.

[velu]

you have to watch 40 test matches to get a decent one match.. but in T20s , we will get 3 or 4 such games out of 10 matches ..

[f.b.m]

Where was your hat during the epic Bangladesh - Pakistan match?

[Marut]

Either test matches finish in 8 days, or in 2 or 3!!

[G_B_]

Where was your hat during the epic Bangladesh - Pakistan match?

If every game of test cricket is not gripping finey will eat his hat

[f.b.m]

If every game of test cricket is not gripping finey will eat his hat

Must've been through a few hats then.

[Zelig]

you have to watch 40 test matches to get a decent one match.. but in T20s , we will get 3 or 4 such games out of 10 matches ..

:agree:

[FischerTal]

you have to watch 40 test matches to get a decent one match.. but in T20s , we will get 3 or 4 such games out of 10 matches ..

there need to be more sporting wickets.

[Gollum]

With sporting wickets no other format can come close to test cricket. The 5 day format is the crown jewel of our great game, when will ICC administrators realize that?

[Guest noticethis]

there needs to be more sporting wickets.

Meh...I'd rather have straight up bowler's wicket with a ton of grass and bounce on it overseas and dust bowls or bounce/swing in India. A result > sporting wicket with a draw.

[BeautifulGame]

Meh...I'd rather have straight up bowler's wicket with a ton of grass and bounce on it overseas and dust bowls or bounce/swing in India. A result > sporting wicket with a draw.

What u described is what a sporting wkt . A result wicket with good help for bowlers (seamers or spinners ) = Sporting wicket

[NareshK]

I didnt even know there was a test match going on till I opened this thread. :dontknow:

[G_B_]

Even on sporting wickets the gulf in class in sides at times makes many tests one sided

[BeautifulGame]

Even on sporting wickets the gulf in class in sides at times makes many tests one sided

But at least it is watchable The worst thing in a test match is watching the opposition batting and pilling up 400-500+

[sensible-indian]

Sporting wicket means there is something for everyone. Spin for spinners who are good. Swing and seam for pacers who are good. Lots of runs for batsmen who are good. Basically wickets that rewards good performance (not necessarily ATG level performance) and punishes bad performance. Dust bowls and green seamers are result oriented wickets. Not sporting wickets. Pattas are obviously no sporting wickets either. Sporting wickets lie somewhere in between those 2. But with the way test cricket is going, I would take ANY result oriented track over dead pattas. Its annoying to see 400-500-600 piled on with ease.

[NareshK]

But at least it is watchable The worst thing in a test match is watching the opposition batting and pilling up 400-500+

400 is not bad. Anything above 500 will be boring. Important thing is bowlers coming into the game a lot more in second innings, so that a result is possible. Ideally, a test match wicket should be decent for batting for first 2 days with good pace and bounce for seamers and then the pitch should deteriorate to allow uneven bounce and cracks for spinners to exploit.

[G_B_]

But at least it is watchable The worst thing in a test match is watching the opposition batting and pilling up 400-500+

not for me... I dont know, in test cricket upsets are once in a blue moon events.

[NareshK]

not for me... I dont know, in test cricket upsets are once in a blue moon events.

That's because the length of the game ensures the best team wins. That's why test cricket is the ultimate test of quality of batting, bowling and fielding because if you have flaws, they will get exposed and the team with the better quality can always come back and win.

[Marut]

But at least it is watchable The worst thing in a test match is watching the opposition batting and pilling up 400-500+

It is not the problem of runs per se. If 500 runs are made with ease, that is, with batsmen simply milking the runs without getting threatened, then it is boring. There have been many matches in the past when 500 or 600 were made on wickets that aid the bowlers. Laxman and Dravid partnership at Kolkota comes to mind. The wicket was not easy to bat on, and both batsmen did not find it easy to get runs for a long time (especially Dravid) but their determination overpowered the great Aussie bowlers on a helpful wicket. India made 657 in the third innings and it was neither boring nor a bad advert for a test match. It wasn't an one sided match either. I just gave one example, numerous 500+ scores were made under difficult conditions and these innings are the ones that separate great batsmen from the good ones who made hundreds on phattas. As sensible-indian said, the game should be such that skilled batsmen must be able to make runs, mountains of them if they run into a zone. Similarly good bowlers should get wickets if they bowl in the right areas. Bad bowling should get punished. FTBs should get exposed. These wickets are likeable by all. Green tops are interesting once in a while, but if every match on a tour is played on a greentop (like India in NZ 2002) then the matches become too predictable and become as boring as matches on flat decks.

[zep1706]

But with the way test cricket is going, I would take ANY result oriented track over dead pattas. Its annoying to see 400-500-600 piled on with ease.

Actually we get a lot less draws these days than the good old days of test cricket.