MS Dhoni opines about the current state of Test Cricket

MS Dhoni is arguably one of the most loved and followed cricketers in India. The former World Cup-winning skipper of India recently appeared for an interaction in Goa. At the event, Dhoni talked about many things regarding the sport. A Test mace winner for India himself, one of the topics that Dhoni discussed was the ongoing trend in Test cricket. In recent times, teams have adopted a more aggressive approach in Test cricket. Though a win is not guaranteed, almost every team is seen pushing to take the match to a decisive result. This shift in approach was highlighted when Brendon McCullum took over as the head coach of England in red-ball cricket. Under him, and with Ben Stokes as captain, England cemented its stance as the side that adapted to the aggressive style of play in Test cricket, which led to the approach being named 'Bazball,' coined from McCullum's nickname.

MS Dhoni hails 'aggressive style of play' in Test cricket

MS Dhoni, when asked about the new trend in Test cricket, commended the style of play. While the former cricketer highlighted that the 'term' you give to a certain phenomena doesn't matter but the evolution of the game must be highlighted. Specifically, the phenomena Dhoni was referring to is the one where a team plays for a result. While the team tries for a win, the main aim of playing is to avoid a stalemate after a rigorous schedule of playing over 5 days. A win or lose might not matter that much but the clash not going down as a draw is a must to pull at the end of the Test.

"You can give cricket any term that you want to," Dhoni said. "What we have seen is cricket has evolved. The way people are playing cricket is very different. There was a time when in ODIs something was considered a safe score; now that score is not safe in T20s too," he added.

Known for his commendable understanding of the game, Dhoni cited one of his own dilemmas of playing Test cricket to note the positives of the current trend followed in red-ball cricket. Dhoni, who reliquished his Test captaincy in 2016, explained that as the captain of the team, he found it exceptionally tricku to keep the side motivated when he knew that the game was headed for a draw irrespective of the hard-work that the team put into the match. Apart from his captaincy, Dhoni is widely regarded as one of the best wicket-keepers in the game. However, the seasoned player shared that he found it tiring to keep wickets in a game which he knew was going to bore no results at the end of the gameplay.

"For me, the most difficult time during a Test match was the fifth dayâ€æwhen you knew that 100% it is going to be a draw," he noted. "I would still need to keep for nearly 2.5 sessions, and that was the most tiring part. You see there is no result happening; you are just going through the motions," he further explained.

The traditional style of Test cricket demanded hours of rigorous physical and mental effort with little payoff, a challenge known well to players who endure the grueling five-day matches. Dhoni’s support for this aggressive style comes from a desire to keep fans engaged and deliver clear, decisive results, making the game more exciting. Explaining in layman terms, the cricketer took note of the disappointment the players and fans experience after such a game.

Recently, India pulled off a miraculous win in Kanpur against Bangladesh. After a little action on the opening day of the final India vs Bangladesh Test, the following two days of the clash were washed off. However, returning to play on Day 4 with just 2 days of play left, Indian team played effortlessly swiftly and won the game with a thumping margin against the guests. No one expected a result out of that match due to the limited time frame. However, the team's grit and gameplay style paid off as the match ended up in their favour. Dhoni highlighted the same as he counted the positives of such approach in Test cricket.

"Imagine telling someone who doesn't know much about cricket: we play over five days, and after all that, we don't get a result. That's not nice for the game," he said. The thrill of competitive action, and the challenge of swinging a match in four days or even after a weather delay, Dhoni said, speaks to the "beauty of Test cricket. Even if we are playing only four days of cricket and one day gets washed out, still you get a result - that's the beauty of Test cricket, and that's how it should stay," he emphasized.