RIP Test Cricket (in India)

Dileep Premachandran has come up with perhaps a known argument –

This is a series where the No. 1 ranking is at stake. You’d think that results mattered. But while Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka leave little to chance as they pursue that ambition, India are content with being world leaders: at signing TV deals and producing bog-standard pitches.

And that’s something even Pradeep Magazine seems to agree with –

But what would sadden and hurt them the most is the way the Indian Board is allowing Tests to die a slow death.

And I still hold on to my earlier argument about how India must lead the revival of Test cricket. But, sorry, not with such tracks. The wicket saw close to 1600 runs being scored over 3 innings (1598 to be precise) and only 21 wickets of a possible 40 taken, and a side bowled out only once. These are staggering numbers, which of course will be forgotten in due course of time, only with the romance of a Tendulkar hundred still lingering in public memory. On the same day, only two Ranji sides – Tamil Nadu and Mumbai were able to clinch outright wins against relatively weaker oppositions in Punjab (not the same as 3 years back) and Himachal Pradesh. The rest of the matches played in both the Super League and the Plate League were dead draws as usual. So, here’s the diagnosis, but is the Board willing to treat the syndrome ? I heavily doubt it.