The (nearly) lost art of the Test match

Spectator

13 hours ago

If you can bear to turn away from the Fifa Club World Cup, take a moment to ponder cricket and work out how the Bazball top brass have ended up with a team that lacks a proper no. 3 and has a woefully limited pace attack. And that's after stating that their sole aim was to build a side for the imminent series against India, and then the Ashes this winter.
But first things first. The ripples from South Africa's victory in the World Test Championship will be felt for some time. It was also an outstanding game, which contained a wonderful example of the (nearly) lost art of the traditional Test match innings. It's hard to imagine that South African opener Aiden Markram will ever top that – a big hundred in the fourth innings against one of cricket's most renowned pace attacks in the final of a world tournament.
In fact, the whole match, all three-and-a-bit days of it, was a perfect antithesis to Bazball. Sure it was fearless, but it was also patient and unflustered – as well as unbearably tense.
If you were an Australian selector, however, you might start worrying that your renowned pace attack is beginning to show signs of battle fatigue. And if you were an English batsman, you could be looking forward to the Ashes.
But before that there's India. The most exciting team in the world – though now without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – are playing England at Headingley in a five-match series which starts on Friday. It should be a terrific contest with Jasprit Bumrah the difference. This superb bowler can do anything, and plays with a smile on his face – not something you often see on the faces of his opponents. In Yashasvi Jaiswal, India also have one of the best openers in cricket, thrilling to watch and increasingly consistent. His only rival as world's best opener is England's Ben Duckett.
So let's hope that England do treat this series as a proper challenge and not just a chance to experiment in a warm-up for the Ashes. After the magnificent Championship final, Test cricket needs a good summer.
But how have the England management arrived at a point where they are without a genuine no. 3? Ollie Pope is like a lottery winner who's only too happy to slide in at first wicket down. As for the other opener, why not give Zak Crawley a rest – although it won't happen – and pair Duckett with the super-capable Jacob Bethell?
Meanwhile, it looks as if Chris Woakes – who can be brilliant in English conditions – will have to carry a fairly modest bowling attack, fully aware he won't be going to Australia.
I'm hoping the Lions are given a really tough test by Argentina. I know Australia are improving but I'm still not sure they're up to much. You want the Lions to play with flair and a bit less grunt – otherwise what's the point of them? And they should clearly find a way to tour France before the end of time. Three Tests, and matches against Toulouse, La Rochelle, Clermont, Toulon and Bordeaux would be compelling. Throw in a combined Paris XV and a Basque XV, and you'd have a rugby summer to dream of.
A final thought on a scrappy but riveting Premiership Final: is it time for a commonsense clause in the rules, along the lines of 'Don't ruin a close contest towards the end for a borderline decision'? The offence for which Dan Cole, Leicester's most loyal trundler, was sin-binned was definitely not malicious, and his dismissal effectively sank Leicester's chances.
He wasn't the only England legend to have ended his playing days on a bum note, though. Ben Youngs's box kick in the last minute gifted the ball to Bath, which they predictably kept until the whistle. A great player and a great career, but not his finest moment.