The Indian market holds great significance to the survival of Test match cricket, reiterated former India head coach and Australian batting great, Greg Chappell, who is worried about the traditional red-ball game amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chappell believes first-class and Test cricket are the most vulnerable due to the health crisis, as the two could be further marginalised while administrators try to make-up for the losses suffered amid the game's indefinite suspension.
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Hence, the 71-year-old, who played 87 Tests for Australia, put the onus on sport's major players to keep the longer version going.
"Test cricket will die the day India gives it up. I cannot see countries other than India, Australia and England investing in young cricketers to take up Test cricket," said Chappell during a chat session on the Facebook handle of the Playwrite Foundation.
"I have nothing against T20 cricket. It is easier to sell to the public. For Tests, the monetary issue is going to be massive. But at the same time, Indian captain Virat Kohli calls Test matches the ultimate cricket, so there is hope that it will survive," he added.
Chappell's tenure as head coach remains infamous for the dressing room fall out and the controversies around it. But the man himself takes great pleasure in having overseen the progress of youngsters like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina & co.
"I vividly remember that I was left awestruck when I saw him (Dhoni) batting for the first time," said Chappell. "He was definitely the most exciting cricketer in India at that time. He used to hit the ball from the most unusual positions. He is the most powerful batsman I have ever seen."
"I remember his knock of 183 against Sri Lanka and how he tore them apart. It was power hitting at its very best. The next match was in Pune. I asked MS, 'why don't you play along the ground more instead of trying to hit every ball to the boundary'."
"We were chasing 260 odd and were in a good position and Dhoni was playing a contrasting innings to the one he had played just couple of days before."
"We still needed 20 runs to win and Dhoni asked me, through 12th man RP Singh if he could hit sixes. I told him not until the target was in single digit. When we needed six runs to win, he finished the game with a six," added Chappell on Dhoni, who turned out to be a great captain and wicketkeeper batsman for India.
"I always used to challenge him if he could finish the game. There used to be a booming smile on his face, whenever he used to score the winning runs. He is definitely the best finisher the game has ever seen."
(Inputs from TOI)
