Relive: The great Australian escape

Test cricket, you beauty!

There ain't a better sight in world cricket than witnessing the most challenging format of the game go down to the wire.

One of the oldest rivalries in the history of the sport, The Ashes lived up to all the hype and expectations for the first time this summer, as the England side came agonisingly close to winning a Test match in the land of the kangaroos.  

Well, you heard that right as the visiting side took six Test matches to find their mojo on Australian soil. Finally, after a month of chasing leather and being bruised by the Aussie juggernaut, on 30th January 2022, the women 's team came close to getting over the line. After four riveting days of cricket that ebbed and flowed before Australia survived a scare in a record run chase. 

"I feel like we might have got away with one a little bit, but we were in a pretty good position to win. Still not sure what to make of it. As good a Test as I've been involved in," Lanning said after the game, reported ESPNcricinfo.

The Australian skipper summed up the emotions of the side after the pendulum swung through the final hour on the last day with all three results possible. The right-handed batter set up an exciting finish to the game by a bold declaration, with England needing 257 runs in 48 overs to win the game and draw level in the multi-format series.   

The visiting side showcased tremendous courage and determination to get the equation down to 45 off the last ten overs with seven wickets remaining. However, England were plagued with inexperience in the middle-order, just like their male counterparts, and crumbled under pressure to give the home team a chance to stage a comeback and also have a shot at winning the game. 

When Natalie Sciver and Sophie Dunkley were going all guns blazing in their 52-run partnership off 37 deliveries, England were well and truly in control of the game. However, destiny had other ideas as the wicket of Sciver caused a mini-collapse losing six wickets for 26 runs, and England were tottering at 244 with nine wickets down and 13 balls to survive. 

"Test match cricket can be very emotionally draining and tiring, but when it comes down to that, you have a chance to win; unfortunately, I feel more sad than happy at the minute," said Sciver after the game. 

While it was a nail-biting end that enthralled millions of fans all across the globe, the Test match also provided an exhibition of the quality of women in the sport. Despite England being hard-done by the outcome of the game, the fans of the England team would be well aware of this storyline after the Ashes debacle of Joe Root and his army. 

As an ardent fan of Test cricket and someone who followed the Ashes series to the tee, it was disappointing to witness the men's team of the England side go down in the five-Test matches tamely.

While they managed to hold onto a draw on the final day of the Sydney Test, the remaining four games of the series felt like history repeating all over again as the batting unit of the Three Lions collapsed like nine pins on the bouncy wickets. 

Despite being a five-day affair, the men's side failed to take the game to the last day on four out of the five occasions this summer. While they have been fortunate to have an additional day to compete, the same cannot be said about the women's cricketers. 

The International Cricket Council, ever since the inception of the longest format, has four days of cricket with 100 overs scheduled to be bowled as compared to five days with 90 overs of play. 

However, one of the glaring issues in women's sport is that most games end in a draw, albeit a thrilling one since lack of time due to the four-day affair. The year gone by witnessed India hold onto an epic draw after Sneh Rana battled hard to help the visiting side pull off a heist against England at the County Ground in Bristol. 

While there have been calls from all across the players and cricketing pundits for a five-day affair, the idea has not excited the decision-makers of the sport. 

Despite lack of support from all quarters to promote women's Tests and help them in their resurgence and popularity, the teams have defied odds to produce thrilling red-ball games that have been etched in the memory of every fan. 

And, as Shikha Pandey rightly said in her tweet after the game, "If Test cricket is great, women's Test cricket is greater, " we couldn't agree more. In a predominantly male-dominated sport, women players have excelled beyond imagination to carve a niche for themselves with their grit.

Despite the roadblocks, women's cricket across the globe should be respected and saluted to keep improving each day and help the game grow beyond the boundary ropes by creating a revolution. 

It is never easy not knowing when the teams would set foot on the ground wearing their whites next, but whenever they do, it promises to be a blockbuster that the game needs more often.