Australia won, England lost, but Test cricket barely survived

When the umpires called it Stumps at the end of the second day of the fifth Ashes Test Match at the SCG in Sydney, the pitch curators and the ground staff might have breathed a sigh of relief following the horror show that saw the iconic Boxing Day Test conclude in just two days. Losing a whopping 60 million Australian dollars ($10 million) following the shoddy end at the G.

Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg might have loosened up his crossed fingers once the match moved to the third day, ensuring that the New Year did not start on a bad note. Bearing witness to one of the worst shoot-out incidents in the country (Bondi Beach Shooting), fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and residents in Sydney would have been unable to reprieve, just weeks after mourning losses for their loved ones.

Long story short, the fans might not had an opportunity to move on from the tragedy if the contest had not reached the moving day (Day 3) of the Test Match. Although the priced urn had returned to the trophy cabinet of Australia, Test cricket barely managed to survive despite record crowd turnovers across the entire series.

Records almost tumbled not for the quantum of runs scored or for wickets scalped but for how long the entire game lasted. A rivalry that spans more than a century saw Test matches end inside two days in over hundred years.

Considered to be the cradle of greatness and the holy grail of cricket, the Ashes has been reduced to a shell of its former self. Modern-day power hitting that stems from white-ball cricket has dampened the batters’ ability to graft and scrape for runs when the pitch has a little bit of bounce and swing for the bowlers.

While the Poms have to do some soul-searching over what they have achieved with Bazball. The Kangaroos, on the other hand, despite edging past the English by 4-1, capitulated on more than one occasion in their own backyards, first at Perth, then at the MCG. The Aussies had the opportunity to show restraint, but chose to flash their bravado that proved too dearly for the fans and for the board that was looking to make the most of the holiday season.

Both teams are going to get a fair amount of bashing from experts and former cricketers, who will now be on a lecturing spree on the history and legacy of the Ashes on their respective YouTube channels. Albeit the criticism of the batters, the elephant in the room that needs to be addressed is, is the World Test Championship helping or hurting Test Cricket?

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With teams aiming to finish in the top two positions, sides are unwilling to give an inch and are going for the win instead of settling for a draw. This is pushing the batters to put the foot down and go for the flashy shots instead of milking the runs and defending and holding fort at one end.

The WTC cycle has revealed that even the oldest rivals in cricket will have to adapt to the changing times. For Test Cricket to stay relevant, the impetus should not only be on introducing a world championship but also tweak the format.

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Earlier, Test matches used to be held for six days with a rest day in between, which was later pruned to five days.

Maybe it is time to make Test Cricket a four-day format. Doing so would not only help players but would also help cricket boards in negotiating with advertisers to get sponsorship deals.

In a year’s time, the Ashes will complete its 150th anniversary, and both ECB and CA will have to decide whether they will be adapting to the changing times or whether they will stick to the tradition that’s been followed for the last 150 years.

The ball is in their courts, or better, in their pitches.