“Sometimes in Test cricket, three are too few; five would be much better!”

Dec 09, 2012 Sports

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Colin E. H. Croft
India and England, having shared the first two Tests, are in a 3rd Test tussle to the death in as tough a cricket series as you could get anywhere.  This series will go right down to the proverbial wire, both sides mauling and brawling along the way!
At least there will be a fourth Test, the final Test due in Nagpur next week, very useful for both economics and good cricket.  Neither team will fall without a tremendous fight!

Only last week, South Africa concluded what was a truly memorable victorious series, in three Test matches, against their old nemesis in cricket, rugby, tennis, Formula 1, any and all sports – Australia!
Even with series nowadays having just two or sometimes three Tests matches, these two series especially should have been extended to the traditional five Tests.  The cricket on display is that good!
Room must be made for total entertainment, first class sports consumption and outright excellence on the field of play.  Indeed, that is what any sport is all about!  Even when these teams play to draws, the cricket is so exciting!
South Africa started this recent Test series against Australia while being ranked No. 1.  The Antipodeans, always proud of their “Baggy Green’, were ranked at No. 3.  What a great contest both teams put on!
India, meantime, is ranked No. 5, but with its recent No. 1 ranking rapidly sliding downwardly , one had to expect, like super-ship SS Titanic, a final cumulative effort before the large, gigantic form of a country of over one billion finally rolled over and died, as its great cricketing heroes left one after the other!
England was also recently No. 1, but playing against India was always going to bring out the best of the “Boys from Blighty”.  They knew, like they do when preparing for eternal foes Australia, that playing, and actually winning, a series in India is as close any Test team comes to being accepted globally.
Just for statistics, 3913 runs were scored in the three Tests featuring South Africa and Australia, in fifteen days of the most glorious cricket.  That was, by simple mathematics, about 260 runs per day.  If that was not enough, even if batting dominated overall, ninety six wickets were also taken in three Tests, over six wickets-per-day average.  If that is not real entertainment, then nothing in Test cricket is!
Not surprisingly, bowlers took a pasting with such batting talent at hand.  South Africa had six centuries, from the superlative Hashim Amla, twice; Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, Faf Du Plessis and AB De Villiers.
Australia countered well with four centuries; from their eternal wizard, Mike Hussey, twice; Ed Cowans and David Warner.  Michael Clarke, batting with such class, pomp and certainty these days, scored two double centuries in this short series, and still came out on the losing team!  What can sports produce?
There were only two five-wicket hauls in eleven innings of this series, showing that no one can dominate bowling in any Test team anymore.  Only Morne Morkel, for South Africa, and Michel Stark, for Australia, managed that.  With such batting available, it really could, maybe should, have been worse!
Australia had its chances too.  In Test No. 2, they came very close, with eight of the needed ten Australia wickets, in 2nd innings, the Proteas having been set 430 to win.  That South Africa managed a creditable draw was due almost single-handedly to the unheralded debutant Du Plessis, who made 110no!
As Graeme Smith, one of my favorite international cricket captains, who ranks equally in my mind with Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene, suggested after winning that final Test at Perth;
“I am extremely humbled.  I hope that the people of Australia can respect what we have done and the way we have done it.  For us, it means the world!”
Yes, South Africa beating Australia at anything is that important.  They do not come any bigger that that!
Not to be outdone by Australia and South Africa, India and England have, so far, put up some outstanding numbers in the three Tests to date, with over three thousand runs being scored so far in the first two and one half Tests.  Boy, are bowlers, especially faster bowlers, taking a beating these days!
To date, as Test No 3 bubbles up to its titillating climax, India has scored two centuries; Virender Sehwag and Cheteshwar Pujara, then a double hundred too from Pujara.
England captain Alastair Cook can do no wrong with the bat, with three of England four centuries to date, while the other was from the indomitable Kevin Pietersen.
India won Test No. 1 due almost entirely to the up-and-arrived 24 year old Pujara, who made 206no in India’s 1st innings of 521, along with Pragyan Ojha, another relatively inexperienced 26 year old slow left-arm orthodox spinner, who had nine wickets in that game.  What a start for India!
England struck back immediately, eventually winning, at a canter, Test No. 2, by ten wickets.
With this fast and result-oriented Test cricket, such teams should have had five-game series.  Enjoy!

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