An Exaggerated Fear

Harsha Bhogale read Chemical Engineering followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM(Ahmedabad) and is a gifted writer.He has in a recent article on the strength of a poor attendance at Eden Gardens, bemoaned the lack of interest in Tests.He recalls old times to which one can add the full house gathered in January 1977 to watch England wrap up a match by scoring 16 runs required to win.Much as these are heartwarming instances, one needs to analyse the situation in context.In those days a Hindu vs Stephen's match had up to 20,000 spectators watching.Durand, DCM and Beighton Cup matches in football and Hockey were played to packed houses.A full house for a Test was therefore in keeping with sporting activity of a nation trying to build itself into a modern nation state.
That project is complete and Indians today aspire to various kind of options.A straight case study that analysts like Harsha Bhogale may like to anaalyse with all their IIM expertise is that in 1976, CAB had a few tickets for Bihar Cricket Association and dozens of lucky ticket holders from Jamshedpur,Patna and Ranchi went to Calcutta to watch Tests.Today Bihar with its teeming millions are disenfranchised from First Class Cricket.And while Dhoni may be an icon in Jharkhand, nobody in contemporary Bihar identifies with Saurav Tiwary, even though he is from Bihar and plays for Jharkhand only because Bihar is dienfranchised.But Bihar has found ways to stardom as the three KBC crorepatis can testify.
Even ODIs may not get the kind of attendance seen earlier.More active life, hectic school and coaching schedule, semesters, professional courses have opened avenues for the middle class and left them with less time for Cricket in general and Tests in particular.But Harsha need not despair as the Gangothri Glades Ranji Final in 2010 in Mysore displayed that given the occaison and the weather there can be a full house for a cricket match.It is nothing to despair and Harsha sounds to be making a case for bail out.It is certainly not in terminal decline and Harsha is mistaken about Green Park.Enough support has been there so far and also at New Delhi.However if Test Cricket is really dying may be nothing will help.
But Cricinfo and online streams keep getting audience for Tests as well.Perhaps the news about the decline of Test Matches are greatly exaggerated.