The Forgotten Glory: Are We Losing Interest in Test and 50-Over Cricket?
In the age of fast food, faster phones, and instant everything, our attention spans have shrunk. The same has happened with cricket. Gone are the days when fans would clear their calendars for five days just to follow a Test match ball-by-ball. Today, most of us are glued to the screen for just a few hours of explosive T20 action. IPL 2025 is roaring with energy, but quietly in the background, the real soul of cricket — Test matches and 50-over ODIs — seems to be fading.
But is it really over for the longer formats? Or are we just caught in the storm of speed and spectacle?
Let’s travel through time, revisit the charm of the old, understand the shift, and ask ourselves — are we losing interest in Test and ODI cricket, or are we just distracted?
Once Upon a Pitch: When Test Cricket Was Life
There was a time when Test cricket wasn’t just a format — it was the format. It defined what cricket meant: patience, endurance, strategy, technique, and character.
Legends were born on the slow, dusty pitches of India and the swinging green tops of England. Think of Sunil Gavaskar facing the fearsome West Indies quicks without a helmet. Or Rahul Dravid grinding down Australia in their backyard for hours.
Test cricket wasn't about who hits the most sixes — it was about who could survive. It was war, art, poetry, and chess, all rolled into one.
50-Overs: The Child of Color Television and White Balls
When ODIs arrived, they brought a carnival feel to cricket. Bright colored jerseys, day-night matches under lights, and the white ball era began.
Kapil Dev lifting the World Cup in 1983 gave India a new dream. And when MS Dhoni smashed that six to win the 2011 World Cup, every Indian household exploded.
The 50-over format still had space for drama, strategy, collapses, comebacks — it was cricket in a compressed yet still thoughtful form. You had to plan your innings, your bowling changes — and unlike T20s, it couldn’t be all madness from ball one.
The T20 Tsunami: How IPL Changed Everything
Then came 2008. The Indian Premier League was born — and with it, cricket entered its entertainment age.
T20 cricket was explosive, fast-paced, high-scoring, and glamorous. Every ball was a potential highlight. Players were auctioned like celebrities, cheerleaders danced, and franchises built loyal fanbases.
IPL gave us unforgettable moments:
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Chris Gayle’s 175 off 66 balls* in 2013.
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Brendon McCullum’s 158* in the very first match.
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MS Dhoni’s last-over finishes.
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AB de Villiers hitting shots from another dimension.
T20 made cricket accessible to the working class, the casual fan, the Gen Z, and even people who never liked sports. It was short, sharp, and satisfying.
Attention Economy: Why the Old Formats Are Struggling
Let’s face it: in a world where everything needs to fit into a 30-second Instagram reel, who has the time for 5-day matches?
Here’s what changed:
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Shorter attention spans: People want instant results and high drama.
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Rise of content platforms: Netflix, YouTube, reels — you’re competing with entertainment that never sleeps.
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Commercial interests: T20s (especially IPL) bring in more money, viewership, and ads.
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Lack of context: A random bilateral Test or ODI doesn’t hold the same weight anymore unless there’s a trophy or rivalry at stake.
📉 Stats Don’t Lie: The Decline Is Real
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Attendance at Test matches in India, England, and Australia has dropped except for a few marquee series (like the Ashes or India-Australia).
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Broadcasters are giving more screen time and marketing budget to IPL, BBL, and The Hundred.
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Young players are prioritizing T20 leagues over red-ball contracts due to money and fame.
The ICC World Test Championship tried to bring context, but it’s still struggling to make every match matter.
But Wait… The Longer Formats Still Have Soul
Test cricket is like slow jazz. It’s not for everyone, but it’s beautiful if you understand it.
Ask any true cricket romantic, and they’ll tell you:
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Nothing matches the thrill of a fifth-day chase under pressure.
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No format builds heroes like Test cricket.
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No format exposes flaws or rewards patience like a 50-over game.
Think of Ben Stokes’ Headingley heroics in 2019, India’s Gabba win, or Pakistan chasing 300+ in an ODI against India. These aren’t just games — they’re folklore.
🎬 It’s Not Over Yet: How to Bring Back the Buzz
The formats aren’t dead — they just need the right packaging:
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Better marketing: Make the stories bigger. Make rivalries legendary. Sell the character arcs like a Netflix series.
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Relevancy: Give every match meaning. Whether it’s points, trophies, or World Cup qualification — let it count.
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Fan engagement: Use digital storytelling, behind-the-scenes content, interactive scoreboards.
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Scheduling: Stop squeezing in meaningless ODIs before a T20 series. Make it count.
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Innovation: Pink ball Tests, day-night ODIs, mic’d up players — blend tradition with tech.
The Real Question: Are We Really Losing Interest?
Maybe we aren’t losing interest — maybe we're just evolving. The modern fan hasn’t rejected Test or ODI cricket. They just need a reason to care.
Give them stakes, emotion, storylines, and accessibility — and they’ll watch. Because deep inside, everyone loves a good underdog story. A comeback. A century after lunch on Day 5. A last-over finish in a low-scoring ODI.
A Reminder for the Fans
Dear cricket lovers,
You don’t have to choose. You can love the madness of IPL and the magic of Test matches. You can enjoy SKY hitting 360s and still feel goosebumps watching Virat Kohli grind 150 in a Test.
Cricket has room for all. The soul of the game was never format-bound. It lived in the silence between deliveries. In the rising heartbeat of a slow-building innings. In the tear of a bowler who finally got his fifer.
So don’t forget the classics while vibing to the remix. Because some stories are best told slowly.
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