Under a dark sapphire sky, tearing across grass as green as a lick of new paint, Mitchell Starc raced in to launch the first ball of the latest Australia vs India Test series last Friday. The murmur from the crowd of more than 30,000 at Perth’s Optus Stadium grew louder with every stride the tall, lean quickie took as he neared his point of delivery… is there anything more exciting than Test cricket at its best?
In countries that still take the five-day game seriously, big crowds still
fill big arenas
Most sporting contests start slowly – the cautious boxers circling each other, the centre forward tapping the ball backwards from the kick-off. But Test cricket – dozy old Test cricket, a five-day yawnfest you might think from what you hear about the future of the game – is different. The first ball is a signature delivery, a warning to the opposition of what is to come.
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