Test Cricket Must Evolve or Face Irrelevance: Ravichandran Ashwin

"Test cricket needs to evolve little to remain relevant": Ravichandran Ashwin

New Delhi, June 5

During the event, Ashwin spoke about the evolution of Test cricket and the selection criteria for the format.

The veteran all-rounder said, "I don't want to write this in stone and say this is exactly how it's going to be, but Test cricketers should earn their place on the back of first-class cricket."

He added, "At one point, playing all three formats was very exciting, but there are still cricketers playing first-class cricket who aspire to represent their country in the Test format. Unfortunately, because of various circumstances and the sheer depth of talent in Indian cricket, some of them miss the Test bus. If that continues to happen, how are we going to incentivise players to dedicate 15 to 20 years to first-class cricket, given the lifestyle sacrifices and financial realities involved?"

"Test cricket needs to evolve a little to remain relevant because, as a serious fan of the format, I believe it is at the culmination point, and something needs to happen in a very emergency fashion," he further added.

During the event, Ashwin was ranked 25th in the list of the greatest men's international cricketers of the 21st century.

Ashwin also touched upon whether the bowlers have adapted to the change in playing style of the modern-day batters.

"Bowlers today are having to adapt at a pace they've never experienced before. Test cricket has evolved, pitches have changed, and conditions have changed, but T20 cricket, because of the game's economic model, is likely to remain a high-scoring sport. As a result, bowlers need to understand that individual wicket-taking may sometimes take a back seat, and they will have to hunt as a pack," he said.

"Cricket, as a sport, has traditionally been slow to evolve. I couldn't hit a ball for six, but I went through baseball camps and learnt through constant feedback. Cricket has now entered a phase where both bowlers and batters must become problem-solvers, not season by season or game by game, but ball by ball. When we embrace that mindset, we will see a different level of execution from both batters and bowlers," he concluded.

Ashwin finished his international cricket career in December 2024 with 765 scalps across formats - second-highest for India, only behind Anil Kumble (953). His tally of 537 wickets for India in Test cricket is also second only to Anil Kumble (619).

Ashwin remains the only player in Test history to have claimed more than five Test hundreds (6) to go along with 500 wickets to his name. He is only behind Ian Botham (5) in the tally of nabbing a Test century and five-for in the same Test, having done so four times.

— ANI