SEN Test Cricket’s Bharat Sundaresan believes the difference between the best and worst teams in Test cricket is cause for major concern.
Australia wrapped up an innings and 182-run victory over South Africa on Thursday to take the series 2-0 with one Test match still to play in Sydney. This was after Australia swept the West Indies in a two-match series where at no stage did the tourists ever threaten to make a contest.
Sundaresan said that if this trend continues, the only countries who will play red ball cricket will be the big three nations in Australia, England and India.
“This might not be a popular opinion but in the next five to 10 years, Test cricket will mainly be played by India, England and Australia,” Sundaresan said on SEN Breakfast.
“A lot of the other countries are struggling and South Africa is a prime example of that.
“There was all this buildup and this narrative that this is the big heavyweight clash of one and two (in the World Test Championship).
“The West Indies were supposed to be the weak point of the summer but now the West Indies don’t actually look so bad.
“It’s a pivotal time in South Africa as their new T20 league starts in January and that is supposed to be the one to fund South African cricket moving forward.
“They will then play less Test cricket, we know the West Indies are going to play very few Test matches in the next five years and a lot of key (New Zealand players) are already taking the freelance route.
“I don’t think the relevance of Test cricket will go away but the money will stay in these marquee series for the Ashes or when India plays England.”
New Zealand cricket analyst Garth Gallaway held a similar view to Sundaresan in that there is a growing divide between the heavyweights of Australia and India with the likes of Sri Lanka and South Africa.
“There is an A and a B grouping in Test cricket,” Gallaway said on SEN Breakfast.
“I’d put India up there obviously with Australia (and) B is South Africa who have been so disappointing in this series.
“Pakistan and South Africa find it very hard to get crowds in (for Test cricket) and in NZ we usually get crowds of about 8,000.
“Australia, England and India is where it’s alive and well.
“Whether other sides are good to pick up the mantle, I’m not sure.”
The series between Australia and South Africa concludes in Sydney which begins on January 4.
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