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While you hear cricketers of 'past' and 'present' make statements like: 'test cricket is the real cricket', 'test is the purest form of cricket', 'one wants to be known as a successful test cricketer', etc in order to establish the importance of test match cricket, the longest form of cricket, the fact is that at present it is endangered to become 'shortest life left' form of cricket.

People, especially teenagers and young men, are more excited about twenty-twenty cricket. One day cricket has also great following until there is not too much of it. But nobody wants to sit for 5 days, in front of television or in cricket stadiums, to see captains making excuses at the end about why the test resulted in a draw. In limited overs cricket the result is sure-shot. Even if match is tied, there is a 'super-over'  or 'bowl-out' to decide the winners. In short time, without needing to take full leave from office, people can come and watch a match going to logical conclusion, having a winner.

Clearly test cricket is struggling to attract the audiences, as we saw from empty stadiums during Ashes series in Australia and India v South Africa test match series played in South Africa, and it needs to be overhauled and needs to be presented in a manner that makes it more attractive and enjoyable to watch.

So what can be done to make test cricket more enjoyable? Here is my take on the issue:

1.Make Result Oriented Pitches Mandatory - Doesn't matter if it is turning as in India or bouncing as in Australia, test match pitches should produce results. Rather than flat boring pitches, as we just saw one at Port Elizabeth, cricket pitches must have enough in them to test the skills of both batsmen and bowlers. I am not talking just about getting a 'result' in a match. Because a good bowling line up can prepare flat wicket to secure their batsmen against a spinning or seaming ball and yet look to score a victory on strength of its bowling. This is what we are seeing in South Africa. Both India and Australia lost their test matches on flat wickets. While cricket fans would be happy that the home team won, but the fact is test cricket lost as the pitch didn't allow exciting cricket to happen. 

In New Zealand we saw that pitch refused to offer turn to spinners even on 4th and 5th day. Batsmen scored centuries and triple centuries with ease and the match ended in a boring draw.

My suggestion is for ICC to direct the boards to go to extremes with pitches. If pitches in your country have been 'seam friendly' traditionally, make them more seam friendly. If they are historically 'turning and spinning' wickets, make them turn more.

2. Go Back To Timeless Cricket - One way to ensure a result in a cricket match is to play it until you get the result. If 5 days are not enough to get a result let the match go for 10 days if need be. This will automatically force cricket boards and pitch curators to prepare more result oriented pitches as no one will want to take upon headache of making arrangements for more than 5 days. Even players, once having experienced what it takes to keep energies going for 10 day match, will demand their boards to not make road like pitches.

3. Introduce Day/Night Test Cricket, Pink Balls - Make sure that each test match series is at least 3 matches long and one of the matches be a day/night match. Use pink ball. Experience has shown us that ODI cricket took a new leap after day/night matches were started. It automatically attract more audience as they can watch the match without having to compromise their office times. Pink and enjoyment go together. Pink balls and may be cricket gear with radium stripes pasted on it will add a bit of color to otherwise 'all-whites' of test cricket. 4 PM to 10 PM is an ideal time.

4. Make 90 overs mandatory  in 6 hours - Over rates have been a huge problem in modern day cricket. Teams are struggling even to bowl out 80 overs in a day and matches go in extra time frustrating the audience. Slow overrates mess up the entire schedule of people who come to see the day's play. No wonder they take a call that 'they will never come to watch test cricket again'. Teams should be fined in terms of runs and wickets for each extra minute they take to complete their quota of overs. There should be a counter 'stop watch' in all cricket stadiums and a 5th umpire to operate it. Countdown should start bang at 6 hours and clock to be only stopped by the umpire if batsmen gets injured, or waste time adjusting his gear. If then the overs still remain to be bowled when counter strikes '0', the fielding team should be penalized. Also if batsmen is guilty of wasting time 10 runs must be deducted from his score.

5.Improve Facilities at Stadiums - No one want to sit on concrete slabs or plastic chairs sweating for 7 hours. Improve facilities at cricket stadiums. Make it easy for audience to move around and have bit of fun while watching cricket match. Make arrangement of serving drinking water, coffee, tea, beer, refreshment at the seat. Giveaway freebies like autographed caps and T-Shirts to the audience. Conduct contests, like 'cricket quiz', 'predict who will win' or 'what will happen in next over',  who will be man of the match etc. Basically involve the crowds in the game.

6. Improve Commentary, Choose Commentators Well - This is one of the most overlooked area when it comes to cricket. Cricket commentary is touching new lows. There are no more Richie Benaud's or Tony Cozier's in the commentary box. One feels like putting TV on mute, and most people do it, while cricket is on television. Don't just make anybody do commentary, especially for test match cricket. A minimum of having played at least 1 test match must be made mandatory qualification for any one who want to sit in a commentary box and pass comments on cricket. More commentators who can help spread the traditions of test cricket are needed than the one who just shout for no reason.

7. Encourage Player-People (P2P) Contact - I can tell you most people go to stadiums watch their heroes play. Not every one is able to get the autograph of their hero. It makes cricket fan feel "What is the need of going to stadium. At least they show replays on television, and closeup of my heroes". Make an interactive session mandatory, between cricketers and public. A direct connect will help people understand what a test cricketer goes through and will develop interest in the game. It will also help players understand the type of cricket fan's want them see play.

8. An ODI, T-20 free To Test Cricket Ticket buyer - 2 in 1 always works, especially in India. Give 2 for the price of 1 and both things will get popular, it's an experience. Why not encash the enthusiasm of people towards limited overs cricket. If they are mad to watch short form cricket, make sure that road to limited overs cricket goes through the test match arena. May be authorities can go to extent of selling tickets of ODI matches to only people who buy a test match cricket ticket. This move could be counterproductive but it's worth giving it a try, especially when Test Cricket is hospitalized and is lying on death bed.

9. Don't be stubborn, Cheer leaders are OK - Have you seen cricketers after consuming few bottles of wine. They don't behave like a gentlemen. In fact that is true for their on field behavior as well. Enough of this "Cricket is a Gentlemen's game". It is not. Allow Cheer Leaders to entertain audience with their moves, even in test cricket. Ensure uninterrupted supply of them at 'Lords', the home of cricket. And watch all the members fighting to take best place available.

10. Play Under Same Rules With Same Balls - Someone is using a SG ball while someone else is using Kookaburra ball, yet someone else is using Duke cricket ball. Can't they have one brand of ball, standard size of bats, and more importantly one set of rules written in stone for game of cricket. All these things are creating confusion to the young audience. This is the era of 'simplification' and not 'complexity'. Things should be easy to understand. Why India don't use DRS -Decision Review System and why others are mad about using it, is creating too much confusion among the masses and is making test cricket less enjoyable.

I know the list is incomplete and much more needs to be done to make test cricket more enjoyable and to make it regain its position among three forms of cricket. But the above mentioned ideas, if followed, will go a long way in making test cricket more enjoyable and bringing back audience to watch it.