Test Cricket is still alive and kicking

If cricket was a living being, Tests would be the grand old man, one who witnessed the first of every little nuance of the game and has lived on through centuries, albeit with a few hiccups and watching two other 'gentlemen' grow to unexpected heights.

Time and again in the recent past, numerous questions have been raised regarding Test cricket's existence. The growing popularity of the slam-bang version -- Twent20s - has always been seen as a threat to the oldest format of the game. However, look back at 2013 and one can say that Test cricket connoisseurs will be filled with a lot of optimism. They witnessed two of the oldest rivals of the game - England and Australia - take turns to outsmart each other in their respective countries in the span of four months. The constant concern that Tests are fast losing its stadium audience was thrown out of the window when a record crowd of over 90,000 people turned up at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Day 1 of the fourth Test, a dead rubber. The Barmy Army too was seen in full voice when the teams played in England, egging their players on, to get the better of Australia.

Elsewhere, the fans also witnessed a young, inexperienced Indian unit travel to South Africa and give the hosts a run for their money in Tests. While empty stands in South Africa was surely a concern, but the fact that two determined set of players fought session in session out till the last day of the series, does go a long way in establishing the fact that Test cricket is far from done and that the format continues to be the priority for youngsters coming through the ranks.

While the shorter format of the game delivers what it promises - instant gratification -- the beautiful intricacies of the sport are captured best through the five-day contest. The battle-within-battles between old foes, grueling spells of bowling against solid and determined batting and the numerous tactics on display over the course of five days; these are aspects that perhaps, have allegorical life lessons hidden in them somewhere.

Earlier in the year, Test cricket also came as a relief, even if only a momentary one, for the population of the grief-stricken African nation, Zimbabwe, when the Brendan Taylor-led side registered a 24-run win over Pakistan in a Test match.

Even as T20s continue to soar to greater heights in terms of growth and popularity, it is fair to say that Test cricket has retained its status as the pinnacle of the three formats. Despite growing concerns, the grand old man seems to be in the pink of his health.