The empty stands of Ahmedabad automatically raise a question. This sight was not shocking to anyone, because West Indies has been performing disappointingly for the last several years. His record against India in the last two decades has been completely one-sided. West Indies have lost all six Test matches played in India since 2013 – four by innings and one by 10 wickets. Out of these six matches, five matches ended within three days.
In the Delhi Test, India declared liberally in the first innings and the decision to follow-on was somewhat risky, yet West Indies could not stand anywhere against the might of the Indian team.
Memories of exciting matches: England tour
For Test cricket fans, especially in India, this series was quite lackluster compared to the previous England tour. The exciting series of five Test matches played in England ended in a draw. At Lord’s and ‘The Oval’, the spectators held their breath till the last moments, while in Manchester both the teams fought hard for victory.
England completed the challenging target of 371 runs in spectacular fashion at Headingley ground in Leeds. Even the only one-sided match of the series (the hosts lost by 336 runs at Edgbaston) was not boring. In that match, the aggressive batting of Harry Brook and Jamie Smith thoroughly entertained the spectators and proved that when there is passion and determination, even a one-sided scoreline cannot reduce the thrill of the match.
Exciting matches are now limited to selected teams only.
However, such exciting matches are now limited to only selected teams. Elsewhere, Test cricket is turning into mostly one-sided results. The World Test Championship (WTC) was started with the aim of making Test cricket relevant and exciting again. The rapid rise of T20 leagues in the last decade had diverted audience interest towards shorter formats, leading to a decline in the popularity of Test matches.
The WTC has made Test cricket more result-oriented and competitive than ever before. The proof of this is that there have been three different winners in the three editions played so far. This initiative has been successful in giving new energy to Test cricket, although challenges still remain.
Top teams started using ‘home advantage’ more aggressively to increase competition. The result was that the gap between the host and visiting teams reduced, but the balance of the series was not completely restored – especially in 2024, this gap became even more visible.
Two-Tier System: Why is the discussion increasing?
Under these circumstances, the discussion of two-tier system is gaining momentum. Under this, the 12 Test playing teams can be divided into two divisions – six teams in each. At the end of each cycle, there will be promotion and relegation of one or two teams. Its objective is to give a chance to the lower teams to come up and challenge the weaker top teams to go down, so that the competition remains alive.
It is no secret that the real axis of Test cricket is England, Australia and India. When two of these teams face each other, the interest of the spectators reaches its peak. A great example of this was seen in the Boxing Day Test of 2024, when a total of 3,73,691 spectators were present in the stadium in the 5-day match between India and Australia in Melbourne.
In contrast, the India vs West Indies Test in Ahmedabad in the same month witnessed very low viewership. This year’s Test series between England and India was recorded as the most watched Test series on digital platforms. The enthusiasm of the spectators was worth seeing in the ground as well – tickets for the Birmingham Test were ‘sold out’ even before the match started.
Nasir Hussain’s opinion
Former England captain Nasser Hussain said in a conversation with Michael Atherton, Ravi Shastri and Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports, ‘We are very fortunate in England that almost every Test match is ‘sold out’. We should not take it lightly, because here no additional context or WTC is needed to keep Test cricket attractive.
Although in some countries Test cricket is still equally attractive to spectators and broadcasters, the picture is not rosy everywhere.
Since the beginning of the WTC in 2019, it has become clear that the gap between the top teams and the rest is deep. If a two-tier system is implemented based on the current ICC Test rankings, Australia, South Africa, England, India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka will be in the top tier. The record of these teams has been one-sided against the remaining six teams, which makes it clear that the balance of competition in Test cricket has deteriorated badly.
This inequality further strengthens the need for a two-tier system. With this arrangement, quality, competition and audience interest in sports can get a new lease of life. If implemented correctly, it can help keep Test cricket sustainable and exciting for a long time.
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