The word itself evokes a thousand emotions in the hearts of the people of India. It’s a sport that is being played in the country since the time of the British, and gained popularity after India’s victory in the Prudential World Cup in 1983. Nowadays, the game of cricket has become synonymous to the One Day Internationals and more recently, to the T20 format. However, for a majority of the past cricketers, Test cricket remains the best form of the game. These days, with the change in the lifestyle of the people, they do not have much time to watch a 5 day game of cricket. So, came a change and the One Day Internationals came into existence. However, with more changes in the lives of the people, came another change in the format of the game, the T20 format. T20 is the fastest form of the game and the spectator in the stadium or the TV audience have to spend just about 4 hours in the whole day to enjoy the game. However, this is the “wham-bam” format. This format is for those who love the big hits to the fence as this is the format primarily for the batsman. The bowlers do not have much of a chance in this format. This format has some of the best players in the world playing in it, however, it is for those who love the fast paced nature of the game. This format doesn’t usually test the ultimate character of the player and the strength of his determination and concentration. This is wherein lies the beauty of Test cricket. It is the oldest version of the game and nothing can replace its stature. This form of the game brings out the best in both the batsman and the bowler. As it is played over a span of 5 days, both the batsmen and bowlers have an equal opportunity to showcase their talent and the battle between the bat and the bowl is intense. Test cricket is played in sessions and every session brings about a change in the nature of the game. One session may be dominated by the batsmen and the other by the bowlers and so on and so forth. This battle between them is the most intriguing as it brings out the determination in them to succeed. That is the reason why some of the best cricketers of the past and of our times stand for Test cricket as it is the test of the best. In the end, I would like to say, and without any offense to the lovers and players of the T20 format, that Test cricket should be given more priority and not be kept on the back-burner just for the sake of earning money through the shortest format of the game. The other formats of the game owe their existence to Test cricket and it should never lose its aura.
It is true that the T20 format has taken over Test cricket, which is the oldest format of playing cricket. T20 format is less time consuming and it more preferred even by the audiences over Test matches. T20 provides the player with more scope of earning money. However, Test cricket should not lose its glory because it actually offers the basic essence of the game.
