Test cricket should be in its prime. England is the most aggressive team in history, India and Australia are uncommonly good, and New Zealand has just played two of the most exciting matches of all time. Yet from Marylebone to Melbourne to Mumbai, administrators are sabotaging cricket’s finest form.
Every cricket lover knows that the charm of the five-day format relies on pitches that provide a balance of power between bat and ball. Too many pitches this winter failed to meet that basic requirement. Australia played South Africa on an overgrown Queensland meadow and won within two days.
The collateral damage of fitting in another men’s competition is that the Ashes will become a fast-food binge
Their away series against India, who are the hardest team to beat when they’re playing at home, promised a classic. Instead, it was tawdry. India produced pitches that were so spin bowler-friendly that each of the first three matches was over in three days.
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