CricDigs Blogs

This seems like the right time for holding a world championship for achieving the top test team honours. The reason is simple. After nearly a decade there are worthy contenders to dethrone Australia in the form of India and South Africa and the number one spot no longer seems preoccupied by the Aussies. England too could prove worthy contenders but as the England coach Peter Moores recently commented, they don’t have the needed variation when it comes to bowling in Tests and this is something that India and Australia will continue to take advantage of.

Recently, there have been some significant run chases in closely contested test matches at Chennai and at Perth. Both the Tests have signalled a new pattern wherein the team chasing isn’t looked upon as being doomed the way it was though earlier. Both the run chases have created history of some sort and it lays out an interesting conclusion — if a world championship test series is organised, it is more than likely that results will be achieved. This is again something very vital for making a championship of Test matches more appealing.

India does look like the more balanced team capable of dethroning the Aussies and the Proteas too aren’t far behind. There are a few vital differences though. In the bowling department, India is blessed with a more-than-decent spin combination of Harbhajan Singh and Mishra as reliable spinners whereas all the other teams, i.e. Australia, England and SA don’t have a regular world class spinner in their respective sides. The Proteas have a rather similar-looking, one-dimensional pace attack like that of England.

Again, India seems to have more young talent waiting for proving themselves whereas England’s and SA’s middle-order still remains pretty vulnerable. Australia is well set in terms of batting but their bowling is going downhill with no real variety. The dark horse in this race to the top could be the other Islanders — Sri Lanka. They have it in them to spring to the top spot or at least give the above-listed teams a real chase. Their bowling is pretty potent and they have a well-defined and experienced batting order. A Quadrangular World Test Championship with these four teams would be ideal.