Big rivalries needed for Test cricket’s survival: Tendulkar

Batting maestro feels the longer format needs strong, longlasting competitions

cricket is not dying. People’s mindset has changed. It’s about the big rivalries. There was a time when everyone wanted to beat West Indies. Later, it was Australia. They had nine world class players and two terrific players. If three-four of their players clicked and did the job, they would win.”

Tendulkar lamented that at present, there were no such big rivalries and this was hurting world cricket.

In an international match, the crowd gets engaged if there is a brilliant innings, a magnificent bowling spell or a defining individual moment. Tendulkar pointed out one instance in the 2015 World Cup that got crowds buzzing with excitement.

“To engage the crowd, there must be an even contest between bat and ball. The Wahab Riaz spell against Shane Watson in Adelaide left an impression in my heart,” he said.

In that quarterfinal encounter, Riaz bowled a hostile spell and troubled Watson with bouncers. This contest was one of the most memorable encounters in the 2015 World Cup as Australia scraped through by six wickets.

He also mentioned a brilliant innings by Gavaskar during the fifth and final Test against Pakistan in 1987. “Gavaskar’s 96 was a great knock because he scored the runs on a difficult surface. It was about skills like footwork. This is what makes an innings special,” Tendulkar stated.

However, Gavaskar’s knock went in vain as India lost the match by 16 runs and the series 0-1.

Tendulkar’s suggestions, in the backdrop of changes in Test cricket, could make the ICC and BCCI sit up and take notice. NEW DELHI: Cricket has a defined playing calendar. The ICC came up with a calendar which lasts for 10 years in which bilateral series are charted out. The number of Tests, ODIs and T20Is are mentioned in a document called the Future Tours Program (FTP).

However, in the last couple of years, the ICC has been worried about the future of bilateral series in the wake of several Twenty20 leagues which are topping the popularity charts. In July 2015, the ICC expressed concern and mulled the possibility of creating a qualifying league for Tests and ODIs.

India’s batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has come up with a radical solution to make bilateral series more competitive. Speaking at the

Tendulkar put forth a very different proposal.

Tendulkar used the current India versus England series as an example and said, “It will be a good idea to play back-to-back Test matches on a home-andaway basis. It will make the matches more exciting. Let India