Test cricket is awesome but...
Test cricket is awesome but...
The highlights suck! We need to do something about this...
We just completed one of the most amazing test series between India and England. That, the final test match was played in the picturesque stadium in Dharmshala, was a fitting end to the series.
There is nothing like test cricket!
Test cricket is an incredible game. Over the 5 days, it mirrors life. It is strategy; it is also execution, it is peak performance, it is resource planning, it is innovation, it is motivation, it is skills, talent, physical and mental endurance and DISCIPLINE. A test series with 4 to 5 test matches is like a test match, only super-sized.
BUT…
If you watch the highlights, you will miss EVERYTHING. All you will see are some excellent shots, some great wickets and people cheering. What a disappointment!
Test cricket is not about shots that are played. It is equally about shots that are NOT played—like Sachin Tendulkar’s famous 241 without a cover drive. Sometimes, wickets are snared, and the batsman is lured or tricked. Sometimes, the batsman wears the bowlers out before unleashing the strokeplay. Often, the main events unfold days before the match—like injuries, ego clashes, media chatter or the form of the batsman or bowler.
In a way, to use modern Netflix-speak, Test Cricket has many sub-plots. It is those sub-plots that make the whole thing interesting.
So, what can be improved?
First, the level of commentary needs to go up a few notches.
When I started watching test cricket in the 80s, there were no fancy graphics, but the commentators could give you a flavour of different aspects of the game.
We need experts to analyse the game, not simply entertainers shouting, “What a ball! What a bowler!”
We need the commentator to put things into perspective, such as field settings, what it means for the batsman, how the bowler should bowl, how the skill was used to fox the batsman, etc.
Intelligent commentators can highlight duels between batsmen and bowlers across formats (50-over, 20-over, tests, etc.), highlight batsmen's or bowlers' vulnerabilities, and give technical insights (feet movement, head stability, etc.).
Modern players are also great analysts. They will also tell you the risks and rewards of different shots available to the batsman when approaching a particular delivery. (Ravi Ashwin is awesome.)
Second, you need a person trained as a film director to edit the footage using the commentators’ insights, different angles and graphics.
Third, you can add more live graphics to bring out the nuances. Today, we can see field setting, but they can also show what scoring areas are and what shots are open, what is the bowler more likely to bowl, etc.
Fourth, you need to catch more insightful data points. Things like pitch wear and tear is looked at only at the start of the day - maybe needs to be looked at again during lunch and tea break as well. The condition of the ball also needs to be shown, say every ten overs.
These are but initial steps. I think these will start us on a path to better highlights—the kind that enthrals the viewer and shares with her the magic of test cricket.
What do you think? How can we improve the highlights for test cricket?