The 2000th Test Match (India Vs England, Lords) – Long Live Cricket

It could not have been any bigger and better. The journey which commenced on 15th March 1877 will touch the magical number of 2000 on 21st July with India starting their series against England. The test at Lord’s,mecca of cricket,is not a bad time to acknowledge the heritage and beauty associated with the game.

Cricket is perhaps the the only team sport where three different versions exists,all vastly different from each other. However “test” cricket has been and will always be the true test of grit, talent, skill and patience. Moreover Test cricket, which is played over five days is not just the real assessment of the players but there is always a possibility of spectating all the tense situations which one associates with other forms as well,vis a vis a One Day International and a T-20 because there can very well a situation when a side is chasing six runs or perhaps eight runs an over.

No wonder the name “TEST”. The first 2-3 days of a test match are usually spent on both the sides sizing up each other (strictly talking about battle amongst equals here),by fourth afternoon result is usually evident that which side is going to win or if neither is going to win at all i.e a DRAW. But,once a while one comes across an encounter whereby all three results are possible even after the end of the penultimate day, a phenomenon more common these days fortunately, and that’s the kind of riveting contests which every cricket lover long to see.

Irrespective of the time elapsed after the last ball was bowled in these “BATTLE ROYALES” they remain eched in the memories forever. The Test Match at Headingly in 1981 made famous by Ian Botham’149 suddenly comes to mind. So does India’s victory against Australia at Eden Garden’s highlighted by rear guard action by V.V.S. Laxman and Rahul Dravid. Two of the only three occasions when a side following on have won a test match. Other being England at SCG in 1894. Another dramatic and sea saw encounter was the tied test match in 1986.Even after two decades people deliberate if Ravi Shastri should have allowed Maninder Singh to play that many balls,especially once scores were level.I have not seen football fanatics loosing much sleep over drawn matches but when it comes to test match cricket rules are perhaps different.

Cricket at its best,Test Cricket

The tag “old is gold” does not sit as beautifully over anything as with a cricket match which usually occupies most part of the week, 5 days to be precise,and played with white clothing and a red ball,oldest remnants of the gentleman’s game. In a sport which has seen as many changes as one associates with the costume of a bollywood heroine of 90’s in a dance sequence or perhaps more,the test matches still presides over like a big brother as if saying “you can play havoc with the game as much as you want but till the time I am alive,will make sure the charm and aristocracy of the beautiful we all love so much will remain intact”. AMEN.