Those who love the game of cricket enjoyed a sumptuous feast of high-quality action that lasted for around one-and-a-half-months. The cricketing extravaganza that the 2019 Cricket World Cup was, got capped off by a final that will be remembered for ages as, possibly, the greatest game of ODI cricket ever played. Controversies, and there were plenty, aside, the 2019 edition of limited-overs cricket's biggest show lived up to the hype and left a huge collection of memories for fans to cherish for years to come.
But now that the event has ended, many cricket fans are feeling the withdrawal symptoms. They are waiting for the action to recommence, albeit in a different form. So, if you are a cricket fan who is waiting for high-quality cricket to return on his or her television screens, let us inform you about what to look forward to in the coming weeks.
World Test Championship
The best team in the world of ODI cricket may have been decided but the contest to become the no. 1 side in Test cricket is going to commence very shortly. World Test Championship is a new idea that has resulted after years of deliberation. ICC wanted a tournament which will provide context to every Test series. This is the answer they have come up with. The tournament will run over the course of two years and would require all Test-playing nations, except Afghanistan and Ireland, to play three series each, home and away. The two teams at the top of the points table will play a final at the end of the cycle. Hopefully, this would provide the much-needed boost that Test matches have been craving for.
The Ashes
No matter how badly these two teams are performing, an Ashes series still generates a huge amount of excitement among fans in both nations. The fact that England have become world champions and Australia also showed glimpses of great form in the World Cup, suggests we would see a tight contest. The return of Steve Smith and David Warner will add more drama to the 5-match contest. Smith, especially, would be keenly watched as he was the leading batsman before getting banned. How he copes with the English attack would be one of the interesting mini-battles within the larger context of the series.
India vs West Indies
Will Chris Gayle get another chance to play for West Indies or will selectors ignore his withdrawal of retirement? That would be one of the biggest questions posed during India's tour to West Indies. Considering the impressive performance at home against England earlier this year and then the disappointing campaign in the World Cup, it's hard to predict what West Indies would produce. However, their victory in the Test series against the Poms suggests that, at least in this format, the Caribbean side has rapidly improved. If this improvement stays, India may not find it easy to conquer the home side.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka
Two Tests and three T20Is would feature in this rather small tour. But still, it should be an interesting contest. New Zealand won their last series in Asia, against Pakistan in UAE. They would fancy their chances against a weak-looking Sri Lanka team. However, in their last series, the Lankan side had defeated South Africa in South Africa, the first Asian side to do so. Hence, this could turn out to be a much tighter contest than it currently is..
