Sorry all of today's wickets were on me! I got up with India cruising with Rahane and Thakur, I saw the score and boom Rahane was out... did some work came back boom Yadav then Thakur and finally Shami!! Sorry guys! lol
Sorry all of today's wickets were on me! I got up with India cruising with Rahane and Thakur, I saw the score and boom Rahane was out... did some work came back boom Yadav then Thakur and finally Shami!! Sorry guys! lol
Not a fan of Shami becoming an opening bowler based on seniority. Feel like he works better as a first change pacer especially away from home and I'm sure the numbers will back me up here too. Umesh for instance has a mean outswinger if he can get it to work and I'd rather risk a few overs getting him to look for it rather than him getting on later and being whacked.
I get your points about the longer format developing in bits and pieces. However, is there a market for the same?
The ICC and other boards have to be rational enough in scheduling the games. I just don't see the likes of BCB, WICB having the same monetary muscle and eagerness to keep the game running.
In terms of the game's market, do you think India has the appetite? I certainly don't think so. This is the reason why our stadiums are more or less empty during Tests. It is the very reason why the BCCI would never bid to become the host of the WTC Final.
The BCCI hasn't put out the tender for the media rights for the very reason that they and the bidders are unsure of what the game holds for us. All these so called Mufaddal Vohras and CricJohns can post as many stats as they want regarding the viewership; the fact remains though that people are interested in only checking the scores and not following the game for an entire day.
India and Australia to play in the finals of the world test championship. While this is India's second attempt to win the championship, Australia would fancy their chances against injury prone Indian side.
I get your points about the longer format developing in bits and pieces. However, is there a market for the same?
The ICC and other boards have to be rational enough in scheduling the games. I just don't see the likes of BCB, WICB having the same monetary muscle and eagerness to keep the game running.
In terms of the game's market, do you think India has the appetite? I certainly don't think so. This is the reason why our stadiums are more or less empty during Tests. It is the very reason why the BCCI would never bid to become the host of the WTC Final.
The BCCI hasn't put out the tender for the media rights for the very reason that they and the bidders are unsure of what the game holds for us. All these so called Mufaddal Vohras and CricJohns can post as many stats as they want regarding the viewership; the fact remains though that people are interested in only checking the scores and not following the game for an entire day.
Test cricket is still big in Australia, arguably bigger than the other two formats in men's cricket. There's a similarly strong following in England. It isn't dying anytime soon there.
The Bangladeshi side is still better in tests than T20Is. Their board is not poor by any means, I'm pretty sure their revenue is around mid tier among cricket boards and they've got a big enough fanbase to subsidise test cricket, their issue is getting a side competitive enough away from home and against the big sides and they've been on track with that. WICB is a different tale but I reckon they'll still schedule enough tests against the big boys to just about keep it running, there's still an appetite for tests among the Carribean fans. The Kiwis have got a fanbase very much into tests too but are being forced into more meaningless white ball games because their board wants a quick buck.
Tests in India still get a good enough crowd, if not the BCCI would have nuked the format a while ago. I'm not sure where you're getting the 'more or less empty' estimate from. You aren't going to get full houses like in Australia or England because of weather and the people in general not being able to afford overpriced tickets/take time off to attend games but it's still more than fine with those factors. You're also forgetting how awful of an experience it is to watch any match in India, let alone a test. A lot of stadiums have no shade cover, getting tickets is still quite difficult, fans are treated terribly in and outside stadiums and the matchday experience is just awful with a lack of food/drinks/facilities. If the BCCI took control of a select few venues directly, spent big money on modernising them and ensuring the best fan experience possible and made them the only ones eligible to host tests with certain preliminary conditions for the other state associations to become eligible you'd see even more crowds.
Ultimately you're not going to get IPL levels of casual interest or crowds into test cricket in India at the moment, that is a folly of a dream. But you don't need that level of interest, tests can still survive on the back of T20s in India and other places and even thrive. It's up to the boards and organisers to ensure that. I also believe you'll have more and more interest in test cricket as time goes by, there's a certain authenticity and challenge about test cricket that you can't really get in most other sports which will pull in a new generation of fans that want said authenticity. I don't think T20s are quite there yet and can't see it ever getting there with it's emphasis on over the top marketing, lack of real or meaningful connection and need to force intensity or drama. It's why I wish we had better domestic structures or organisations that ensured first-class cricket is interesting to watch and follow in India.
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