‘If you ask my opinion, Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game’ – Chandika Hathurusingha believes playing Test for country is sufficient motivation ahead of Dhaka Test

Bangladesh coach feels that his team is gaining respect among the other teams. (Photo Source: AFP)

Test cricket has lost prominence in contemporary times unless it is a part of the ICC World Test Championship. In addition, franchise-based T20 battles were being played across the world, Test cricket was having difficulty staying afloat. However, following the emergence of the WTC, the game witnessed a comeback.

T20 cricket, and the Indian Premier League (IPL) in particular, have boosted the entertainment value of sport while diverting attention away from its authentic purpose. It undoubtedly places revenue in the committees’ pockets like never before. Considering all the splendour, excitement, and staging of the T20 contests, their brief duration may give the audience entertainment but the real deal is Test cricket which is the real passion of cricketers and fans alike.

In the same vein, Bangladesh’s head coach Chandika Hathurusingha put forth his views ahead of the one-off Test match against Afghanistan to be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Monday, June 14. Notably, the match will not be a part of the WTC. Furthermore, he stated that Test cricket tests the mettle of players no matter how other formats are growing. Hence, the skill and competition factor of Test cricket remains unparalleled.

“If you ask my opinion, Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game. No matter how popular the other formats are going to be in the future. As a cricketer, you know, your skill was tested in Test cricket. As a bowler, as a batter, as a fielder, it has tested you, your skills, your mental skills, your resilience, everything. So, there’s no better format than Tests for any cricketer if you really want to be proud of representing your country,” Hathurusingha was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

We actually prioritized red-ball cricket for a period of time: Hathurusingha

Besides, he also talked about the recently concluded ICC World Test Championship. Chandika Hathurusingha believes that the real challenge which Test cricket poses is that of the mindset of a player and also adjusting to the conditions they are playing in. The Bangladesh head coach also opined that as India headed to England right after the IPL. they probably did not get ample time to prepare properly for the ultimate clash. However, for the Bangla Tigers, their One-off Test will be played at home and the team is well prepared, so there will not be any challenge of adjusting to playing conditions.

“The way we prepared for this game, we actually prioritized red-ball cricket for a period of time, how we train. I don’t see any difficulty in that. But relevant to your question about the Test Championship, I think it’s challenging for cricketers to shift their mindset and your instinct from T20 cricket to Test cricket unless you have a bit of a time to prepare. So, I understand that because they (India) went straight from IPL, didn’t have much time to prepare and it’s also different conditions. So for us, I don’t think that’s going to be the case,” Hathurusingha concluded.