Oval thriller proves Test cricket touches hearts in ways white-ball formats can't, but are administrators watching?

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2 days ago

The thrilling Test match at The Oval was a reminder of why the format refuses to die. It connects with fans in a way white-ball cricket simply can't. Yes, survival in the modern era is difficult, but administrators must find a way to protect the crown jewel, not abandon it. read more
The Test match at the Oval will remain etched in our memories for years and that's the power of Test cricket. Image: Reuters
Just when the powers that be told us that Test cricket is on its deathbed, the unmatched intensity of the longest format in cricket has reared its head once again, like a nightmare refusing to go away. The culprits for scripting the latest blockbuster in Tests and probably the rudest reminder for the administrators were a couple of Indian bowlers – Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, who bowled their hearts out, firing a young Team India to an improbable win in the fifth Test at The Oval against England.
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Bad light and a passing shower on Day 4 also played their part, as a 27,500-strong crowd packed the stands to the rafters on the final day, fully aware that play wouldn't last more than an hour. Strange, isn't it, especially for a format that supposedly finds no resonance with the youth? Forgive my manners, but who cares about the old ones?
Nonetheless, the young and the old, gentlemen and ladies, were all there at The Oval. To watch what? England make 35 runs more, or India take the four remaining wickets.
Oval Test underlines unmatched thrill of Test format
With the game on the boil and nerves jangling, Day 5 had the most adventurous start. Jamie Overton smashed pacer Prasidh for back-to-back fours in the first two deliveries, reducing the target to just 27 in a jiffy.
A packed crowd witnessed the thrilling drama between India and England on Day 5 of the Oval Test. Image: Reuters
Surely, this was over? All this hoopla wasn't worth it. It was just some white noise. The crowd would've been better off buying tickets for The Hundred game, which starts on Tuesday. But it's never over till it's over in sports, more so in Test cricket.
51 deliveries were bowled thereon. 51 deliveries of pure drama dipped in extra stress and served with spicy playing conditions. Only 20 runs came in those eight-plus overs as Siraj and Prasidh helped cook one of the most memorable cricket encounters of all time.
The last act – Siraj uprooting Gus Atkinson's off-stump as he set off for the 'Siuuu' celebration, and the crowd erupted on its feet.
The comm box erupted, and so did a billion hearts. India felt every moment of the Oval triumph 🇮🇳👏#ENGvIND #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/CfJxiiqmqZ — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 4, 2025
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Grown men were allegedly crying, and legends were busy comparing the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy to the 2005 Ashes.
Even if some of us were not a part of the above cohorts, we knew we had witnessed something special. Something remarkable that will stay in our memory for years to come.
Scenes here at The Oval. Grown men are crying and cheering, there is screaming and applause. Names are being taken in vain. And that's just in the press box. — Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) August 4, 2025
What made it so memorable was the comeback from Team India. At 301/3 with a centurion in Harry Brook at the crease, partnered by Joe Root, in the 374-run chase, England were the clear favourites.
They had the upper hand even when Jacob Bethell departed and made it 332/5, with England needing just 42 runs.
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But inspired by an explosive series and the possibility of making immortal memories, Indian bowlers found a late burst of energy and focus to upset the apple cart. The overcast conditions played their role, but that's Test cricket in a nutshell.
It's the pinnacle of the game, not because it's played in plain white like Wimbledon or that you toil for five days more often than not to get a result, but because it mimics life so accurately.
There will always be ups and downs, but life always allows us a chance at redemption. So does Test cricket. And if you seize it, the result becomes immortal. Just like the one at The Oval.
Ask Karun Nair if you like. In December 2022, he pleaded for one more chance. That one chance came at Edgbaston, seven years after his last international appearance. He was dropped again in the fourth Test at Manchester, only to make another comeback at the Oval and score a fighting fifty, which probably laid the foundation for India's win.
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Dear cricket, give me one more chance.🤞🏽 — Karun Nair (@karun126) December 10, 2022
The entire series is littered with such stories.
After being thrown into the deep sea as a replacement for now-retired Rohit Sharma and asked to captain a team without Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill spoke about leading by example with his bat. He ended the series as the highest run-getter with 754 runs in five matches.
Every time England looked out of sorts, captain Ben Stokes would turn up and bowl an inspiring spell, changing the complexion of the game. At Lord's, he bowled two spells of 9.2 and 10 overs on Day 5, helping England take a 2-1 lead with an unexpected win.
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On Day 5 in Manchester, Stokes was at it again, bowling an eight-over spell through pain, breaking a vital partnership before being ruled out of the final Test.
Ben Stokes' fighting spirit epitomised Test cricket's finest quality. Image: Reuters
Where else will you get so much passion, aggression, defiance, combativeness, and resurgence all rolled into one game or one format?
But it's proving to be insufficient to keep the format afloat amid the changing times and shifting demands.
While India, England and Australia continue to play a healthy number of Test matches, mostly among themselves, the financially less privileged teams are fighting for game time.
Test cricket heading towards a quick demise
World Test champions South Africa, after all, don't play a home game till October 2026, and Sri Lanka will only play four Test matches in 2025. They may also not get a chance to play against India, England, or Australia soon, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly mulling a two-tier system of six teams each.
A two-tier system will mean fewer Test matches and more games between the so-called 'Big Three'. Some would say that's not a bad thing, as an Oval-like miracle would still be possible, but here's the harsh truth: When teams and matches are reduced, the interest around the format and its financial feasibility would also nosedive.
The gaps between series will extend, and slowly but steadily, the format will lose its fan following, relevance, and sponsors. Other factors like strangling the global talent pool by alienating lower-ranked nations, creating financial inequality, and chipping away at the game's global appeal would lead to a slow death, if not a quick choke.
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Thus, it's imperative that administrators don't short-change Test cricket in the name of growing the game. Yes, there are challenges like shrinking attention spans and the rise of franchise leagues. T20 cricket has emerged as a great vehicle for making the game truly global, but no white-ball contest has ever matched the standards Test cricket has set for itself.
If some Test matches are boring, it's largely due to the gulf between teams created by the lack of competition against the best. Match conditions haven't helped either at times. But when they are momentous, the impact would last longer than any white-ball game.
For the administrators, the message is clear: you don't discard a jewel just because the crown is broken. You mend the crown. Test cricket is that jewel in the cricketing crown, and it deserves to be preserved, not abandoned.