Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey
Tests or T20s? There is a mixed opinion about this question among the cricket fanatics. Some say Test cricket is in danger due to the growing popularity of its youngest brother, while you also hear opinions that T20 is not cricket.
You can find some heated conversations in the cricket community on social media, especially on Twitter, regarding this. Fans often compare these two forms of the game and are often tagged as “Nostalgia Merchants” or “IPL Era Kids” depending on their preferences.
But do we really need to compare them? Can’t we enjoy all the formats of the beautiful game we love? After all, both formats are completely different and important. Let’s get into it and see how diverse our beautiful game is and why we should rise above this favoritism of formats and enjoy our cricket.
T20s: A Complete Package
Players throwing themselves on the field. Boundaries flying. Close encounters. Super overs. And more. This is T20 cricket for you. It attracts a lot of viewers, especially the younger audience, due to its fast-paced and action-packed nature.
Let’s get deep into T20s:
T20 globalizes the game:
Many associate and non-Test playing countries prefer playing T20s. A total of 16 teams participated in the 2016 World T20, including six associate members along with the top 10 sides. Oman gained their international status in that tournament and it was also their first-ever ICC tournament.
T20s, as mentioned, are action-packed and fast-paced. It is the favorite format of many people, thus attracting viewers around the globe. Teams like Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, Italy, etc. participated in the 2018-19 ICC T20 WC European Qualifiers, which is a great sign as more and more teams are playing the game.
More Opportunities
After the success of IPL and the rapid growth of T20s, every country has its own T20 league which provides a great platform for players to showcase their talent and learn from the best of the game. Also, the players benefit financially.
Players like Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Hardik and Krunal Pandya, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Qais Ahmad, Josh Phillipe, Tom Banton and many are the finds of T20 who have burst into the international circuit through T20 leagues and are rated very highly by the experts.
Also read:
- Pros and cons of the rise of T20 cricket
- 7 young Australian cricketers to watch out for in the next decade
- 4 reasons why Mumbai Indians edge Chennai Super Kings
Changed the Dynamics
T20 has absolutely changed the way cricket was played. There was a time when 250-260 was a good total in ODIs, whereas now Rohit Sharma alone has three ODI double centuries. It’s about time that we’ll witness a total of 500+ in ODIs.
Thanks to freaks like AB de Villiers, different kinds of shots that no one ever thought of are very common in the modern era. While it’s more exciting as fans, this has made bowlers suffer too. Players are stronger, they prioritize their fitness over anything. Teams hire special coaches and fitness trainers. The level of fielding has touched another level. T20 has revamped the style of cricket and it certainly needs a different skill set.
T20s are very competitive and unpredictable
The World T20 has been played six times. India, Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka, and Windies (twice) have emerged victorious. Windies and Sri Lanka, whose performances in Tests have not been that good, have won the Title. At the same time, it’s very surprising that Australia, five-time champions of the 50-over WC, are yet to win a T20 WC.
Tests: The Beauty of Cricket
Now let’s talk about the elder brother.
Test cricket is the charm of the game. It reminds us how beautiful the game we love is; arguably the pinnacle of cricket. The purest form of cricket. Despite the rapid growth of the T20s, the popularity and demand for Test Cricket is a great sign for the game.
Test of Character
Test cricket tests the character of an individual. It tests you physically as well as mentally. Batting for hours saving your wicket or bowling 30-40 overs to get wickets isn’t as easy as it sounds. It tests your grit, determination, and willpower, and the reward is always fruitful.
Not everyone is successful in Tests, especially when players are so used to playing limited-overs format. Test cricket demands patience and mental toughness. Test specialists like Cheteshwar Pujara, Dean Elgar, Marnus Labuschagne, Mohammad Abbas, and Ishant Sharma have their own significance in the T20 era. Jason Roy, who’s a gun LOI batter, hasn’t had a great start to his Test career.
Bangladesh has been playing as a full member for a long time now. They are an excellent limited-overs side but have not performed well in Tests. One reason for teams being successful in LOIs and not in Tests is the completely different skillset required, i.e. outsmarting a batsman rather than relying on a big shot to get them out.
Also read: 9 Test records that will be very hard (or impossible) to beat
Exciting and rollercoaster of emotions
You must have heard that Test cricket is boring, but a batter battling it out on the fifth day to save the Test match is something else. So too Virat Kohli vs James Anderson in typical English conditions.
Kusal Perera’s magical 153* against South Africa, Ben Stokes’ heroics against Australia at Headingley in the 2019 Ashes, the 2005 Ashes Series and many more examples are there to prove that Test Cricket is as exciting as any other format. Two strong teams battling it out in sessions for five days can’t be compared to anything.
Comparing Tests and T20s is like comparing Chicken Butter Masala with Chicken Kebab despite knowing that both are very different, but at the end of the day are the varieties of the same thing. Similarly, Tests or T20s are forms of cricket and both are unique in their own way which, as fans, we should respect.
Written by Robin Rounder. Follow Robin on Twitter today.
Also read:
- 9 Test records that will be very hard (or impossible) to beat
- Pros and cons of the rise of T20 cricket
- 7 young Australian cricketers to watch out for in the next decade
