Greg Chappell, the legendary Australian cricketer, in his column went into great detail about how the batsmen from both the Ashes teams failed to live up to expectations in the ongoing series, resulting in doubt over the future of cricket’s oldest format.
In his column, Chappel criticized the lack of use of the batsmen while playing the long run and decided to go the aggressive route while batting.
In fact, two of the four tests were completed in The ashes were packed in two dayswith the batting debate and grind conditions. But Chappell was after the bats and their lack of adaptation.
“Two Tests in the series failed to reach the third day, not through superior skill but a glaring absence of desire. Batters slashed wildly, abandoning technique for bravery, as if playing his ‘natural game’ with excused capitulation,” wrote Chappell.
“They let down predecessors who bled for this rivalry; they short-changed fans who braved the holiday heat; they betrayed their own generation by abandoning cricket’s basic tenets – playing every ball on merit, scrapping for every run, enduring the bruises for the greater good,” he added.
RATED TEST CRICKET PLAYERS?
Chappell admitted that the white ball game has changed the way Test cricket is playedbut he questioned whether the players themselves valued the longest format as much as previous generations.
“I understand that white-ball cricket has changed the game and power is valued more than the ability to absorb pressure in the market today, but if modern players value Test cricket as they say, then they need to show it by being able to collectively bat at least 100 overs in any conditions. If they can’t or won’t, then the format is doomed.”
Overall, Greg Chappell’s comments serve as a strong warning for the future of Test cricket. He believes the problem is not the heights or the conditions, but the mindset of modern batsmen who are not willing to spend time at the crease and adapt to situations. For Chappell, Test cricket requires patience, discipline and the ability to see through difficult phases – qualities he feels are being lost in white-ball cricket. If the players don’t show with their batting that they really value the longest format, Chappell fears that Test cricket could lose what makes it special.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
December 29, 2025
