187 runs to win. 7 wickets to get. A 5th day pitch. The best two teams on the planet. A tussle for the #1 spot. The second highest successful run chase in the history of the game.. The highest successful run chase in Australia.
And a 1000 people.. Or maybe 2000. Thats all.
During the Border Gavaskar Trophy, there was a general consensus that Test Cricket was dying. And that consensus was based on ground attendence. Never mind the fact that the television rating were off the charts, the lack of people inside stadias was presented as proof that Test cricket was dying.
Now, Indian stadiums have never been spectator friendly. Lack of facilities and bad viewing are only two of the many reasons why people avoid the stadium experience. And the two best stadiums in the country ( Mohali and Nagpur) are located sufficiently far from the city to deter people from travelling.
But no... Test cricket was dying because of a percieved lack of interest among Indians.
Forward fast to Perth.
England and Australia remain the two bastions of in stadia viewership for Test cricket. Watching a test match in the stadium is a part of the culture. And yet, barely a 100 people showed up to watch the final day's proceedings.
And in the meanwhile, I come across this in the Sydney Morning Herald
Early indicators suggest the first Test between Australia and South Africa will prove a ratings winner for Channel Nine and the match also seems to have attracted a keen following overseas. The two televisions in the Indian team dressing room at Mohali were tuned into the Perth Test. And Tony Cozier, commentating the New Zealand-West Indies Test in Napier, apparently went to air complaining of sleep deprivation from watching the "real Test" being played at Perth's WACA Ground.So, the death of Test Cricket because of Indian "disinterest" in the longest form of the game is a tad exaggerated.
I worry, however, because the countries were Test cricket viewing is a part of the culture, are giving up on this.. And I worry because, in the countries where in stadia cricket viewing is a summer ritual, cricket is not the most dominant sport. Australia has the AFL and the Rugby code. England has football. New Zealand ahs Rugby. And in these economic times, people may not necessarily be willing to shell top dollar for a day' cricket viewing.
And administocratic greed does not help either. Full price tickets for the final day's play at Perth. 100 pound tickets at the Brit Oval. And a Sky TV subscription to watch the game on TV.
So no, India will not usher in the death of Test cricket. Because there is a sizeable fan base for the longest form of the game in the second most populous country in the world..
Test cricket will die because the bastions of the longest form of the game have abdicated their stewardship.
19 comments:
Koi load nai jee. India is never seeing the death of Test cricket...All fears are far flung....
Thank you for saying this.
One more reason why people avoid the stadium experience in India is because that "chalta hai" attitude is changing. People are saying we'll pay more (especially in the urban centers) but provide us better facilities.
"Test cricket will die because the bastions of the longest form of the game have abdicated their stewardship."
YES!!
Sam,
And that is the point.. Test cricket will die not because of a lack of Indian interest but because other Test playing countries no longer have an audience to sell the game to.
Cheers,
Leela,
The amount of effort involved in watching a game in the stadium in India defeats the whole purpose of being there in the first place, especially when one can sit in the comforts of one's living room and enjoy the game better. I know from first hand experience that unless you are sitting in the Pavillion seats, the whole cricket experience is a waste of time, effort and money.
Cheers,
True.
Maybe its a stretch.. but I actually feel cricket in India is getting even more popular than before.
# The game is now seeing more and more players from small-towns which (this was not the case earlier) means cricket is now the go-to sport in smaller towns. Which means more people watching & not just in urban centers but smaller towns as well.
# T20 and the like are attracting women viewers. This does not mean all will stay back to watch test cricket, but at least a small %age will hang around.
Australian crowds (for any sport) are unbelievably affected by which team looks like winning.
And then there's the old problem with 5th day crowds - people don't plan to go then, because the match might be finished, so it's down to spontaneous decisions to go to the cricket, which probably don't happen that much the week before Christmas...
Hi Homer,
I think you should check your figures.
The final day attendance was 5301 which several times what you state.
Unsurprisingly Australian's are not over keen to watch their team lose.
The total attandance was 55,313 which is an excellent number.
Your point about administrators greed is valid. Charging full price on the last day was stupid.
Remember Perth is a small place,does not have the specator culture of Melbourne, has a beach culture whereby people do other things on a Sunday and the WACA itself is "an old lady" ( not my words, Graeme Wood's the CEO)and thus is not high on the comfort scale.
Merry Christmas
The Pav
I live 400 metres from the MCG, am an MCC member, can get in for free, don't have to line up, and can sit almost anywhere I want.
I still prefer to stay home and watch it on TV.
Leela,
For all those reasons, Test cricket will not die in India. It will, however, fade from the collective consciousness because there wont be enough Test playing nations left .
Cheers,
Jonathan,
Australia has more than one major sport to turn to. And if the Australian cricket team is being pulled back to the pack,how does that adversely affect the sports viewership?
I agree that with Perth hosting two tests in the year and with the holiday season approaching, people might be loathe to spend their money on the game.. And I hope that is the case.
Because if it is not, that is a big red flag for both the ICC and Cricket Australia.
Cheers,
The Pav,
Fair enough... My numbers come from watching the game on TV and but for the grass banks, there hardly seemed to be anyone on the ground.
And sure, 55,313 is a good number.. But the WACA has a ground capacity of 22,000 (24,500 with temporary seating) ( courtesy Cricinfo).
And there seemed to be a lot more people and a lot more noise when India played there at the beginning of the year.
And thanks for the insight on Perth and the culture there.. I was oblivious to this and was basing my observations on all of the literature about the cricket viewing public in Australia. I will nuance my argument better, going forward.
I fervently hope that that thinning attendance is a one off thing though. If it becomes the norm, Test cricket is in big trouble!
Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year :)
Cheers,
lol Tony :).. I used to live 35 km from the Wankhede, had to pay top dollar to buy tickets ( including having to stand in lines ), had to get to the ground a good 2-3 hours before the start of play, was crammed in the North stand with others like a pack of sardines for the duration of the day, food, water and sanitation was basically absent on the ground and would consider it money and time well spent.
Then I got old!!
Cheers :),
Hi Homer
By the way I think on form it was a game between 2 & 3 not 1 & 2.
Forget ICC rankings after all they haven't anything else right.
India is the best balanced & in form team
Strengths
Good openers
More than OK middle order
Spin Options
LH & RH quicks (love variety)
Good catching
Weakness
Age (Tendulkar & Dravid)
Yourav Singh still to prove himself at test level
Poor running between wickets(except Tendulkar)
Ground fielding could improve
& unless Dhoni keeps their feet on the ground may take their eye off the main game
STH AFRICA
Strenghts
One class opener
Good Middle order
Class all rounder (Kallis)
Great catching & fielding
Good fast attach
Weakness
Spin options (despite Harris having a good Perth test)
Lack of variety
AUSTRALIA
Strenghths
One in form opener (guess who?)
Left arm quick
Ground fielding remains strong
Self belief
Weaknesses
Age
Too many out of form batsmen
no spin options
Catching has slipped still OK but only just (In the Aust v India tests in Perth & Adelaide dropped catches killed them)
Tired & out of ideas
There are a myriad of fine young players in the wings to solve all these problems except spin
I'd like to see Bollinger & Hilfenhaus ( or even to be radical the very tall young quick that has just started with NSW) for Lee & Siddel
Drop Hayden & Hussey
Rogers, Klinger, Hodge & North are among the possible replacements plus thereis an exciting young opener in NSW (awho'se name excapes me)
Perhaps Watson for Symonds
and there must be a spinner around who can keep it tight.
A lot of changes sure but Australia has been on the top for a long time so we can afford the pain while new YOUNG players learn the trade.
Cheers
The Pav
Homer, I am surprised that there was not a large turnout on Sunday @ the WACA. I watched the second day's play and I thought it was almost half-full despite the scorching sun but Saturday and Sunday were quite gloomy. Maybe that was the reason people didn't turn up coupled along with the fact that this was the last Sunday before Christmas. FYI, shops in Perth are not open on Sundays and close before 5:30 PM daily which means you have very little window for shopping for Christmas - soooo much different from what goes on in the US.
The Pav,
I think the next 2-3 years will see a jostling for the number 1 spot, with no team being the conclusive winner.
India has great depth and variety in bowling but we will be losing two of our greatest batsmen soon and that will lead to a period of flux.
South Africa are solid without being spectacular and the lack of spin options will biut them.
England is another team whose bowling variety is superb..If they can get their batting order right, England have by far the best team balance among the Test playing nations.
Sri Lanka, with a healthy Malinga and the two M's can play spoilers.
About Australia, I have a few concerns -
1.Australia hit rock bottom in the mid 80s. They built their team and became number 1 because of the foresight of the selectors and the patience of the local populace.
However, cricket series in those days were few and far between. That allowed the Australians the latitude in terms of time and space to work on their flaws and emerge a better team after every cricketing season.
Does Australia have the same latitude now, given the explosion of the game in all three formats.. Teams these days get but one warm up game before a series, so crowded is the calender.
2. This is the era of instant gratification. Perform or perish is the mantra. With each setback the Australians face, how will that play out with the selectors? Will there be more pressure on them to deliver results or will they be given time to play out their long term vision?
And finally, an entire generation has grown up in Australia without quite knowing what it is to have a losing team. Will the people show the required patience in the time it takes to build up the new team?
The one other mitigating factor is the population spread - Australia had 19 million people to choose from for its cricket team. India has in the excess of a billion. Demographically too, India has like 54% of its population under 35 - which means there is a much bigger pool of talent to dip into.Australia does not have that luxury.
So, near term. Australia may still win more than it loses but what of the medium and long terms?
Cheers,
Prabu,
Thanks for that insight.. Now I have a much better perspective on the thin crowd on the final day ..
Cheers :)
Hi Homer
Agree with your comment re India & we are of a mind regarding South Africa
"England is another team whose bowling variety is superb.."
Love the subtlety of your above comment. I think you really meant to say they are totally inconsistent or broken down.
SL will cause problems but lack depth & infrastructure to be a consistent threat but I love the eccentricity of their cricket & their top three or four players are a wonder to watch
As to Australia we sort of agree &
disagree
There is a period of pain coming & your point that patience will be required is valid. I hope & think there will patience if only out of necessity.
There's some good young players.
For example if Mitch Marsh was a sub continental player he'd probably have played 1st class cricket by now. My experience is India & Pakistan are willing to play "kids" more than Australia
By the way the population by the Census of 2006 was 19.85M. I'm sure it's rocketed up to at least 19.86M in the two years since.
Anyway I am not particularly worried about the population differential. Firstly there's nothing we can do about it and secondly one of the beauties of cricket is that it throws up "special" players out of the blue.Population count doesn't seem to count as much and any way the same holds true for all everybody else.
AFL is a bigger concern & I think ironically IPL & 20/20 will help fight that
For example there was no reason for Warne to exist, All the heroes were fast bolwers no real interest in spin, got kicked out of academy yet he still happened.
Besides the population difference has been around for ever in all sports & we're used to it.
Soccer is the world's largest sport & yet Australia made the world cup finals and got past the qualifying stages & only lost the quarter final game to the eventual winner 1-0 to a late goal even though it is far from being the leading sport.
It would trail AFL, Rugby, League & Cricket
Hockey is very minor sport yet look at the presence Australia has in both men's & women's
Cheers
The Pav
Hi Homer
Agree with your comment re India & we are of a mind regarding South Africa
"England is another team whose bowling variety is superb.."
Love the subtlety of your above comment. I think you really meant to say they are totally inconsistent or broken down.
SL will cause problems but lack depth & infrastructure to be a consistent threat but I love the eccentricity of their cricket & their top three or four players are a wonder to watch
As to Australia we sort of agree &
disagree
There is a period of pain coming & your point that patience will be required is valid. I hope & think there will patience if only out of necessity.
There's some good young players.
For example if Mitch Marsh was a sub continental player he'd probably have played 1st class cricket by now. My experience is India & Pakistan are willing to play "kids" more than Australia
By the way the population by the Census of 2006 was 19.85M. I'm sure it's rocketed up to at least 19.86M in the two years since.
Anyway I am not particularly worried about the population differential. Firstly there's nothing we can do about it and secondly one of the beauties of cricket is that it throws up "special" players out of the blue.Population count doesn't seem to count as much and any way the same holds true for all everybody else.
AFL is a bigger concern & I think ironically IPL & 20/20 will help fight that
For example there was no reason for Warne to exist, All the heroes were fast bolwers no real interest in spin, got kicked out of academy yet he still happened.
Besides the population difference has been around for ever in all sports & we're used to it.
Soccer is the world's largest sport & yet Australia made the world cup finals and got past the qualifying stages & only lost the quarter final game to the eventual winner 1-0 to a late goal even though it is far from being the leading sport.
It would trail AFL, Rugby, League & Cricket
Hockey is very minor sport yet look at the presence Australia has in both men's & women's
Cheers
The Pav
The Pav,
Here is the thing though - Australia had the best feeder system in world cricket for the longest time. But now, countries like India and England have caught on - India's feeder system does not depend on Mumbai and Delhi anymore.
And the population spread makes a difference when you consider that, all things being the same, England and India have a distinct advantage over Australia in terms of numbers.
About the cricket itself, I dont think there are going to be any easy answers for Australia in the near and medium tersm. While the IPL will slow down the exodus to the AFL and Rugby codes, how many of the players will remain exclusive to thier states and country?
Let me elaborate - suppose the Champions League is due in 2 weeks time and Victoria are playing South Australia on an Adelaide featherbed. How many marquee players do you think Victoria will feature given that there is more to gain in the Champions League than the outing against SA?
Also, consider this scenario - a Hobart Test against BD or a Brisbane Test against the West Indies with the IPL due to start in 2 weeks. How many players do you think will willingly sign up to play the test given that they stand to lose more by not playing the IPL? Also, consider the above situation with the Champions League - will Victoria release Peter Siddle or David Hussey to play the test and risk injury when they stand to lose on the million dollars the Champions League guarantees?
Also, because of these leagues, there will be pressure on the selectors to play certain players over certain others...Its going to be a long, hard, bumpy ride..
Cheers,
PS:- About England, I meant it when I said I like their variety and depth - if they can keep healthy, I think England has the most potent bowling attack in world cricket at the moment.
Cheers,
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