West Indies’ Shamar Joseph raises the ball after taking 7 wickets in his crew’s defeat of Australia on the 4th day of their cricket Test match in Brisbane, on January 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP
Test cricket has been below strain amid the rising recognition of profitable T20 leagues round the world however the longest format couldn’t have given itself an even bigger enhance with two thrilling finales to field workplace matches in Brisbane and Hyderabad on Sunday.
With T20 franchises doubtlessly turning into gamers’ major employers, and most boards discovering Test cricket financially not viable, the format’s future stays a priority for the purists.
But they may have a spring of their step after West Indies shocked Australia in Brisbane and, hours later, England staged a surprising comeback in opposition to India in Hyderabad.
With all-rounders Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers opting to play franchise cricket as an alternative, West Indies picked seven uncapped gamers for the two-Test collection Down Under the place that they had final received a Test in 1997.
World Test Championship winners Australia had prevailed in slightly over two days in Adelaide and a collection sweep at Brisbane appeared a formality with the hosts a perfect 11-0 in day-night matches.
West Indies speedster Shamar Joseph had different concepts.
After taking a five-wicket haul in his debut Test in Adelaide the 24-year-old, bowling with a bruised toe, burst onto the scene as the sport’s new star together with his 7-68 in Brisbane to clinch a cliffhanger for his crew.
The drama and the pleasure moved West Indies stalwarts Brian Lara and Carl Hooper to tears.
“Seeing @BrianLara in tears in the comm box tells you everything you need to know about Test cricket and what it means,” former England captain Michael Vaughan wrote on X, previously often called Twitter.
“T20 is great but it will never ever bring out this emotion,” he wrote in one other put up.
Indian batting nice Sachin Tendulkar stated Joseph’s “remarkable spell” illustrated the “sheer grit and drama” that Test cricket may produce.
“This is the format that truly challenges and showcases a player’s mettle,” he stated.
England’s fearless cricket
While it was a triumph for the underdog spirit in Brisbane, the final result in Hyderabad was a victory for England’s fearless model of cricket.
India had misplaced simply three Tests at dwelling since 2013 and the dwelling facet appeared set to open the five-match collection with one other win having taken a lead of 190, a determine which might often have been decisive in such spin-friendly situations.
However, Ollie Pope produced arguably the greatest knock by a visiting batter in India with an unbelievable 196 to overturn the deficit, whereas debutant spinner Tom Hartley claimed 7-63 to script one in every of England’s biggest away wins.
India coach Rahul Dravid took some consolation from the truth his crew had been concerned in such a optimistic advertisement for Test cricket.
“If you look at the bigger picture, you don’t have 25,000 people coming in each of the four days of a Test match here,” he stated.
“The cricket was played at a lovely pace. Both teams played the game without taking a backward step and kept pushing hard.
“It was an excellent Test match to be a part of.”
