The Tests Have Begun

India is the unofficial capital of the cricket world. This statement has been corroborated by the Australians staying back in India after deciding to not to play cricket in Pakistan, a decision which has two sides, if not faces. Many suggest that big money has lured the Australians to come to India and play, but they are certainly overlooking the basic difference between Pakistan and India. While Pakistan has been depicted by the media as swimming in an ocean of an imbroglio of uncertainties, India is being looked upon as a place to earn money especially when it comes to cricket- the baptized "passion" of the nation.

But is it really the passion of the nation? The very statement is the Test that I am talking about.

It was known that the advent of Twenty20 would kill the Test audience figures after maiming the ODI ones. And that unfortunately has happened.

One might think that Twenty20 games is what interests the regular cricket audience now, that is getting bored with Tests and even ODIs. A true passionate follower of the game would be cherishing every ball bowled, irrespective of the ball being bowled in Test cricket or in Twenty20.

There are other countries like Australia and England where Twenty20 format was introduced much before, but Tests and ODIs have not lost their glory. The tickets for coming Ashes, for example, would have already been booked.

A lot of people now feel that there has been an overdose of India/Australia clashes now. This is ridiculous since the clash is happening after a whole year now, but it sure is a fact that there has been an "overkill"- of cricket, not of the contest in context, there has been an excess of everything in Twenty20- the same faces, the same attitudes.

So the Test really is for the Test version to stay afloat. Although there are people who love watching Test cricket, it sure isn't getting the attention it used to get when Twenty20 was not there.

There has to be a way to balance the two versions. Err... did I say two? There has to be a way to balance all the three versions of the game. The ICC has to look at how FIFA has managed things with club football and national contests.

Meanwhile, we will see in a few days time if the Test passes the Test.