Test Cricket is the purest form of the game. It is in this format that most of the core values of a cricketer come to the fore. Even now, the format is popular and it has maintained this popularity for a very long time. On that note, here, we take a look at which year was the first cricket Test match played.
Which year was the first cricket Test match played?
The very first Test match delivery was bowled #OnThisDay in 1877, between Australia and England, in Melbourne.
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Cricket started long back but the international recognition of the Test format started only a few decades later. It was in 1877 that we saw the first game of Test Cricket. The match was held between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.
Since March 15th in 1877, we have had more than 2000 Tests. Speaking of the first game, it was the Aussie squad that came out as the winner. The team won the first-ever Test match by 45 runs. In the second game of the series, England leveled the tournament by claiming a four-wicket victory.
Is Test cricket still viable for the sport?
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Although Test Cricket was popular for a long time, this has somewhat decreased in recent years. There are way too many sports offering quick entertainment with a lot of highs. Cricket itself has the T20 format, which suits more to the tastes of the present generation. In this context, the survival of Test Cricket is always a topic of debate.
To add context to the format, ICC recently started the World Test Championship. This has made teams play Tests with more intensity. ICC has now confirmed this tournament to go on until 2027. At the same time, ICC has given windows in its calendar to accommodate a lot of T20 leagues. Cricket has to find a way to balance and this might as well decide the future of the traditional format of the game.