What do you find to be the most exciting aspect of a test match?

[Daemon]

Chandigs v us and Mendis v Aus were seriously the best counterattacks in recent memory. Soul crushing for the fielding side.

 

[Kirkut]

England batsmen vs spin.

I remember after a great 2011, David Saker, Warne, McGrath and Botham predicted that England will dominate the game like Windies and Australia. This was followed by a massive lol series where Ajmal traumatized them.

The 1993 series where Raju, Kumble and Chauhan made Gooch and co. look clueless was entertaining as well.

 

[CapeTown Guy]

Most exciting for me is seeing batsmen who rarely bowl thrown the ball to roll the arm over for a few overs. I just love the idea that guys who would never come close to making a first or second grade squad as a bowler are called upon to bowl at an international level in the hopes of jagging a wicket. Who would ever have thought Matthew Wade would bowl an over in test cricket?! Imagine being the one guy in test cricket who got out to the bowling of Mark Taylor or Michael Slater (both in the same innings too, ftr)!?

With all the science and training that takes place in sport these days, I can't imagine there are many other sports at international level where players are asked (and not forced, such as bowlers having to bat) to perform a skill they aren't trained for.

Makes me think of this match: 4th Test: West Indies v South Africa at St John's, Apr 29-May 3, 2005 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Biff, AB and Boucher getting 5 wickets between them and everyone having a bowl.

 

[Daemon]

Makes me think of this match: 4th Test: West Indies v South Africa at St John's, Apr 29-May 3, 2005 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Biff, AB and Boucher getting 5 wickets between them and everyone having a bowl.

"having a bowl" is an understatement, Smith bowled 42 overs and AB 21

 

[fredfertang]

If I go through the rest of my days without seeing anything as compelling as his bowling in the first two Tests of Mehedi Hasan's career I might still live for many years yet

 

[Blocky]

I like the whole 22-2 situations where there is a rampant bowling attack attempting to dislodge batsmen who grind out through to set their side up. I also enjoy final day chases.

I dislike the toss, I dislike how docile/doctored most pitches have become and I dislike the abundance of tests that some teams play compared to the lack that others teams do.

 

[Bijed]

Makes me think of this match: 4th Test: West Indies v South Africa at St John's, Apr 29-May 3, 2005 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Biff, AB and Boucher getting 5 wickets between them and everyone having a bowl.

at the West Indies scorecard, everyone either totally failed or got centuries!

Also 14/1 after 4 balls of the SA 2nd innings!

 

[FBU]

Tail end batting, Agar's 98 (debut), Southee's 77 (debut), Best's 95 (HS26) all against England with the captain and bowlers not having a clue what to do.

 

[Howe_zat]

the dilemma between teams,

- what's the good score to declare?
- do we have enough?
- what's our approach should be as the target is 501 and plenty of time left? Should we go for it or just be Mohammad Hanif
- **** we are doomed, should not have declared so early

Nah worst thing. When a team is that far ahead all tension is sucked out of it and you're just waiting for them to move on, hence why commentators and fans get so impatient with declarations in the first place. Then you have to deal with the bull**** armchair psychology on why players haven't declared yet.

 

[listento_me]

the dilemma between teams,

- what's the good score to declare?
- do we have enough?
- what's our approach should be as the target is 501 and plenty of time left? Should we go for it or just be Mohammad Hanif
- **** we are doomed, should not have declared so early

tbh bangladesh havent had to deal with such issues

 

[Biryani Pillow]

I've watches a helluva lot of sport live, in the flesh.

Over 20 different sports at top national or international level.

For me there is no moment to match the first ball of a Test match.

 

[Woodster]

For me it's all about the contest, and by that I mean a sub-plot within the overall contest. Two players really going at it, a Donald v Atherton type situation, this was made more encapsulating by the fact it was a quick bowler bowling quickly, so the intimidatory factor was also involved, and a stubborn batsman that wasn't in this case looking to give it back to the bowler, but more focusing on pure survival. Those contests I am fascinated by, of course there is always a bigger picture but invariably such contests go some way to deciding the overall outcome.

The passion is put out there, this isn't acting, they're not playing up to the camera this is just pure determination and passion to win the battle for their team and in my opinion makes for spectacular viewing.

 

[Compton]

Agar-Hughes is the obvious example, but I've always loved a side being miles behind in the match before a last wicket stand that just changes all of the momentum.

Captain's looking dumbstruck, every fielding change is followed by an edge to the now-vacant position, the spinner goes for 20 in an over.

All of a sudden the bowled out side still trail by 30 but walk back to the pavilion like they lead by 100.

 

[longranger]

I guess in ODIs and T20s, everyone loves audacious batting. Monster sixes, switch hits, amazing running - the shorter version of the game looks good when a batsman is chasing down big targets with only a few balls to do so.

But for Tests, I love it when the fielding team can smell a wicket. When a new batsman walks in and the crowd is loud. For a fast bowler, that's when there are 4 slips and a gully. The batsman knows where the ball will be. He'll play and miss. And he can see his nerves. But you smell the wicket. You know he's going to nick one of the next few balls and it will be devoured in the slips. Think the morning session in England or Australia.

And for spin, its when the batsman walks in and sees 4-5 close in fielders. He waits to see which way the ball turns. And often misses. You can see the pressure build. He's going to defend it and give off a close in catch. Or miss it and get LBW. Think the post-tea session in India.

The magic of Test cricket.

 

[OverratedSanity]

For something more specific, the most exhilarating experience for me was watching an India vs Pakistan match live and listening to the crowd getting louder and louder during Shoaib Akhtar's runup. I truly feel pity for anyone who's not experienced it live in a stadium.

 

[Daemon]

for many the most exciting part is 40 years after the match where they attempt to discredit everyone's performances in it through statistical manipulation

 

[Victor Ian]

Reading of all these points, and they are ALL exciting, it makes me wonder how test cricket is not the greatest game on earth that makes people everywhere aspire to nothing more than finding time off to watch a whole match. It is just so full of so many different ebbs and flows for such a prolongated measure of time that every test match is like a new story involving your favourite cast.

Another aspect I find immensely exciting is, weirdly, between stumps and the next morning session. It is like a half time break that takes a whole night and half a day. So much time to analyse, imagine, troll and project all of the various things that may happen, and then to see play take a different turn when it actually commences.

 

[cnerd123]

I love how a Test can be won or lost either through session after session of hard grind, or through a moment of brilliance or a single mistake.

It feels a lot like life. Sometimes you have to put in lots of hard yards, sometimes things change in just a session, and sometimes everything changes in a space of a few balls. You gotta adapt to sudden changes in a situation whilst also being able to knuckle down and focus for long periods of time. Sometimes you have to resist temptation, sometimes you have to take risks, and sometimes you just sit back helpless and rely on others to take your team to victory.

Sometimes you can spend all day in the field and have nothing happen, only to suddenly be presented a match winning opportunity with just half a second to react.

Sometimes a days worth of hard work is undone by a simple mistake.

Sometimes you have to grab the game by the neck and make things happen.

There is luck, there is hope, there is skill, there is patience, there is determination. You need to be able to seize opportunities, but the second innings always provides a second chance for those who fail in the first. Conditions change, the mood changes, the requirements of you change.

It's just such a great game in general.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Cool story *****

 

[Daemon]

Too many ****s trying to write beautiful prose in this thread. Sickening.