Is T20 Cricket killing Test Cricket ? The birth of Test Twenty!

 Is T20 Cricket killing Test Cricket?

The birth of Test Twenty!

Introduction:

Cricket, the game of glorious uncertainties, is moving towards an unknown future, where the shorter form of the white-ball game has changed the entire dimension of the game.

The popularity of test cricket, the red ball game, will never die, but the game is drifting towards an unknown sphere where the old days' glory is missing. Is it because of the current players or their mindset that is pushing test cricket towards such an unprecedented arena?

Worldwide in various cricket-playing Nations, there is a growing craze for the shorter form of the game, resulting in the introduction of many premier leagues in T20 format. 

Excellence in T20 Cricket is measured by the average run scored and the strike rate at which scored. The selection of shots within the time frame fixed has resulted in the typical invention of Cricketing shots which are away from the known grammar of the game.

The tumbling shot over the head, flashing outside the off stump, drifting away from the line of the ball to play an unauthentic shot over the in-field. Whether the ball is moving off the seam or the natural condition is favouring the bowler, the shots executed are never meant for test cricket.

Test Cricket

Why is Test Cricket losing its sheen?

Is it a tricky wicket?

Is it the technical incompetence? Or a big shift from the patience and application to play as per the merit of the ball?

History of Test Cricket over in less than three days:

Since the time the test match was scheduled for a five-day game, from 1946 till 1999, there were no games that were finished in 2 days where whereas after that, till the Boxing Day of the Ashes series 2025, twelve test matches were over within two days, and one game between India and South Africa in Cape Town was over in 107 overs.

In 2025. In the test match between India and South Africa at Eden Gardens and in two test matches between England and Australia, the game was over within two days, thereby opening the debate as to what may be the probable reasons……

1. influenced by stroke play as the players are now accustomed or 

2. It was the tricky/underprepared wickets of choice by the home team, which boomeranged. 

In contrast, if we go deep into the record books, the test match between India and Australia in 2018 had alone batted for 210 overs, whereas in the current Ashes series, the England team has batted for only 127 overs in the four innings of Perth and Melbourne test matches. 

During the period 1969 to 1985, test cricket saw 43.1% games being drawn, whereas in the last five years the percentage has dropped to 8.2. However, the exception is the last India vs England series, which rolled on for all 5 days in each test match.

There have been games where the competitiveness has shown the glory of test matches, some wonderful performances, and the gritty knocks by the champion of red-ball games. How can we forget the stubborn knock by Cheteshwar Pujara?

56 vs Australia, Brisbane 2021: Pujara's gusty half-century was a defining moment in one of India's greatest Test victories. A tough target of 328 for victory on the final day saw some amazing batting, as the seasoned campaigner frustrated a full-strength Australian attack. Pujara struck 11 times on the body and could not deter or move Pujara an inch.

If not for Pujara grinding down the bowlers with his 56 from 211 balls after spending 314 minutes at the crease, India might not have been in a position to push for an unlikely victory. This was also a tough wicket, but the fight was taken over by the great mindset, technical superiority, and above all, the strong determination to play the game as it needs to be played.

Why does the mindset play an important role?

We all remember the statement of Virat Kohli after winning the IPL trophy: "IPL win is special, but this is 5 levels below Test cricket. This is how much I value Test cricket".

The Senior and famed Cricketers, right from Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Vivian Richards, to Sunil Gavaskar, all have disclosed their sentiments on test cricket and how much it weighs upon any player. Sunil Gavaskar clearly mentions, “Unless you are successful in test cricket, your Cricket career will never be successful.” 

Why do such bold statements not find a place in the current day's players' perspectives? Where is the batting discipline that used to be thick & thin with the great batters? Who can forget the famous pronouncement by Sunil Gavaskar, “Give the bowler the first hour, and then the next five hours are yours.” This is not a mere statement; it is the testimony of all great batsmen who have ruled the Cricketing globe with their skills, patience, and determination. Why don’t we find such a strong mindset in today's cricketing scenario?

The Bazzball or any other format of batting strategy- is it the offshoot of T20 cricket and its non-cricketing shots, or even more than that? The restraint & stoicism, mastery & skilfulness, and the resolve & commitment; these six words form the foundation of a great player, those who rule the 22 Yards. While the current Ashes series has produced a few good knocks by stylish batter Joe Root or the dogged fighter Steve Smith, both form a few of the last serving Test players who are chained by the old school of thought, rather than the others who try to find a shorter way to rise to fame in the longer format of the game.

The current-day players search for an alternative to entertain the crowd with their explosive batting, which is filled with stroke play from the very first ball. There have been entertainers earlier also in test cricket, but they also knew where to stop and when to start; today, it is the influence of the 20-over game that has changed the facet of red-ball cricket.

The effect of T- Twenty (T20) Cricket:

With the advent of T20 and major leagues in the likes of the Indian Premier League, the talented Cricketers find the shorter form much more entertaining, money money-making platform, and also the gruelling five-day test match is absent. The host of T20 leagues is the choicest arena for all upcoming and new talents to play for their franchise and earn quick money. 

In one of my articles concerning the debasement of West Indies Cricket, the example of rich talent Nicholas Pooran was elaborated, who had left all forms of games from the National team and has wholeheartedly merged with T20 leagues all over the World. The money, fame, popularity, and crowd worship have allured the rich talents towards this white ball format, leaving the glorified format of the red ball game. 

The craze has hit the younger generations in every part of the Cricketing World, resulting in their affinity towards shorter formats. Runs flowing, cracking shots all around in a 360-degree periphery, early field restrictions; all make the fans assemble, enjoy the fours or sixes, wickets falling, but nothing to do with the copybook Cricket we all have known.

The Cricketers who have played test Cricket and the longer format in domestic Cricket have always given preference to technique, foot movement, and hand-eye-foot coordination while batting against the best of the bowling. Leaving the ball outside the off-stump overs after overs requires great patience and concentration. In the Indian context, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, and others all have played the game with dedication and professionalism in the longer format. 

Their presence in the red ball game gave a big impetus to Test Cricket, with Sachin Tendulkar showing the path as the leader in scoring runs. They all have faced the superior bowlers of SENA Countries and also the quickies of Pakistan, but nothing deterred them from scoring runs and staying at the wicket for long.

Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakara, Vivian Richards, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Steve Smith, Ken Williamson, and a host of others have proved themselves in the World Cricket along with the Indian top batters as elaborated earlier. They have also proved as an excellent hand in One Day Cricket. However, they all have performed with perfection, staying within the bounds of the grammar of Cricket and never deviating from their learnings. This ensured they stayed to demonstrate their skills in both formats. 

With the advent of the third format and quick runs scoring spree, the game changed, and Cricket earned a different definition for entertainment. 

No Feet drill/ Dog throw stick:

The sports science recommends ample rest for the body to the pace bowlers and to shuffle them between different formats, as we see for Jasprit Bumrah and others, but it also attracts a negative impact. The bowlers, at times, find it difficult to come back with the same rhythm, thereby impacting the performance.

For T20 games, the players are also given training with “no feet drill”, which further illustrates the drift from eye-hand-feet coordination to just eye-hand coordination. This has created a big gap while the same players are called to play red-ball Test Cricket.

The dog throw stick aims to give effective practice to the batsmen and also provide rest to the bowlers, but it acts as a negative force, with the batsmen not having any clue of the ball being released from the hand to judge the seam and its probable movement. While the science is being attached to improve the game, the more it is curbing the technicalities. The quick result is towards scoring runs and not for grooming the delicacy of batting.

Moving away from the Domestic format:

The big hindrance and restrictions imposed on self by all the players, the superstars and the upcoming stars is by restricting them to play for their respective States or Regions under various Cricket boards in domestic long formats or other games. It is quite late that BCCI has come up with the strictures to play domestic Cricket in the respective formats whenever they are available to keep them fit in bowling or batting and make them available for selections. 

Australian Cricketers participate in their domestic tournaments and keep themselves fit to play long innings and also bowl at a stretch for 25-30 overs. In today's circumstances, the pacers do not have the stamina to bowl 30 or 40 overs at a stretch or in two spells. The practice also doesn't place such long spells continuously. One day with 60 balls or a T20 with 24 balls is much easier for them to handle. Similarly, the batters have a point to prove and thus start striking the ball in the nets for the 120-ball game or 300-ball game. One Day Cricket still has some time to get into the groove, but T20 demands to strike each ball.

Many bowlers in today's context are not even fit to bowl 10 overs in ODIs, let alone Test Cricket. The pretext of not being match fit is a common term nowadays to avoid from longer version and play the shorter version.

This change in strategy, switching over from the contemporary batting to quick runs, and the bowlers' unable to find their pick has given the glorious game filled with uncertainties.

The performance sways like a pendulum in each game, from a day's finish to a day game has become a regular affair. Test Cricket, the prime form of the game, is facing a threat and also losing its shine. This phenomenon is not good for Cricket and also for the players who want to really establish themselves in Test Cricket and other formats.

The story of a difficult Pitch or technical incompetence:

The history of Cricket over centuries has proved some great performances, excellent batting, and a deadly bowling combination. There have been instances of difficult wickets supporting pace or spin, awkward bounce or right-angle turn, but there has been equally great performance over the decades. A few of such innings still remain etched in every Cricket lover's mind for some extraordinary batting.

1. VVS Laxman 281 vs Australia (Kolkata, 2001): Against the best attack, on a rank turner, Laxman's marathon 281 (from 452 balls) rescued India from follow-on, a monumental effort of concentration and skill.

   
   

2. Batting with assurance well beyond his years, Sachin Tendulkar compiled 114 runs from 161 balls, striking 16 boundaries at Perth in 1991-92. He handled the extra bounce with soft hands, trusted his defence, and picked his scoring opportunities with clarity, turning a difficult surface into a stage for one of his earliest defining performances.

   
   

3. Kusal Perera 153 vs South Africa (Durban, 2019): A stunning, counterattacking innings on a treacherous, seam-friendly pitch, helping Sri Lanka achieve the highest successful fourth-innings chase in Africa.

   
   

4. Ian Botham 149 vs Australia (Leeds, 1981):* The "Botham's Ashes" heroics, where he smashed 149* to set up England's comeback win, turning the tide on a tough pitch.

   
   

5. Don Bradman 270 vs England (Melbourne, 1936-37): Bradman batted at number seven after illness, scoring a mammoth 270 on a difficult pitch to guide Australia to victory in a crucial Test.

   
   

   
   
   
   

6. Virat Kohli 149 vs England (Edgbaston, 2018): A masterful hundred in the first innings of a Test where most batsmen struggled, showcasing incredible technique against the moving ball.

   
   

7. Graeme Pollock 122 vs Australia (Adelaide, 1967): On a bouncy Adelaide pitch, Pollock's elegant century in challenging conditions is often cited as one of the best against Australia.

8. Alastair Cook 104 vs India (Nagpur, 2012):* Cook led England to a series win with a gritty century on a low, slow turning track, demonstrating immense patience.

9. Sunil Gavaskar 102 vs West Indies (Port of Spain, 1983):* On a terrifying, unpredictable pitch at Queen's Park Oval, Gavaskar's unbeaten century against the fearsome West Indies pace battery is legendary.

10. Martin Crowe 107 vs Australia (Perth, 1991): A brilliant century on a fast, bouncy WACA pitch against a strong Australian attack, showing great skill and control.

• Another masterful Innings of an unbeaten 135 from Ben Stokes in the 2019 Ashes series 3rd test, placed his name in the record books. It helped England to win the Headingley test by one wicket. 
  
  

• The innings of a lifetime; Sunil Gavaskar playing a valiant knock in his last test match on a massive turner at Bangalore against Pakistan. His 96 runs will remain an inspiration for the Cricketing fraternity in ages to come. 
  
  

Conclusion:

The greatness of all players stands out with their extraordinary performances in Test Cricket under tough conditions across the cricket-playing Nations. Test Matches getting over in less than three days in the recent past, red-ball Cricket losing its glow, the current generation of players inclined to play a shorter format of the game; all have culminated in Test Cricket taking a back seat. 

Every Test-playing Nation makes the surface of the wicket to suit their bowlers/ batsmen and the team, but there have been instances when such decisions have favoured the visiting team. In India, the earlier series against England, New Zealand were over in 2 to 3 days, with India losing the games on a spinning track. The same happened at Eden Gardens in the last series against South Africa. Again in the Ashes series, Australia lost the game at Melbourne on a wicket that helped the seamers.

In the ongoing match at Sydney, the two champions of Test Cricket, Joe Root and Steve Smith, have displayed their disciplined batting and scored a century each. The young Jacob Bethell and Travis Head are the other two who have scored centuries. Their efforts marked the rebirth of Test Cricket in the same series, which also saw two games over in two days.

The onus is now upon the players to put in their utmost efforts to establish Test Cricket on the Cricketing map and not allow the skills of the game to be diluted by T20 Cricket.

If T20 is killing Test Cricket, then the day is not far away when the Test Match will also be a two-innings affair, but with a fixed number of overs to arrive at a result in a shorter period, ranging from 2 to 3 days, or the introduction of a new format Test-Twenty where both sides will bat 20 overs each in two innings, a game of total 80 overs.

An introspection, which we all will need to do for the survival of Test Cricket!