No Live Cricket? Switch on Amazon Prime
In normal times, it is quite rare that you switch to your cricket channels and not see live cricket. If there are not any international games, you would see some form of cricket still being played. Whether it be ubiquitous T20 tournaments around the globe or some form of domestic competitions.
But these are not normal times.
The cricketing world has come to a halt. The pandemic that has gripped the rest of the world has also stymied all forms of cricket around the globe (except gully cricket, of course).
What if you could still satisfy your cravings for some quality cricket while you sit quarantined on your couch? What if you could see more than just on-field cricket that we always do?
Amazon Prime could not have come up with a more timely series. To satisfy your cricket cravings, turn on your Amazon Prime and tune in to “ The Test: A New Era for Australia’s Team”. The series follows Australia’s cricket team during one of its worst debacles. It starts off with a downward spiral when Australia’s captain, vice-captain and a promising opener got caught cheating in Cape Town and documents the transformation that follows.
If you are someone who loves this game, you might end up watching 8-espisode long series in one go (why not, right?).
But what should you expect from the series? Here are 6 things that I absolutely loved about it:
- A spectacular rebuilding of Australia’s cricket
Steven Smith (captain), David Warner (vice-captain) and Cameron Bancroft (a promising young lad) get caught cheating on air while playing a test match against South Africa. They get banned from taking any part in any form of cricket for 12-months.
How Australia comes to terms with this debacle, learns from it and rebuilds a new culture around its cricket is something you do not want to miss.
2. Ups and downs of a top cricket team
Australians are usually known for the quality and competitiveness of their cricket. However, what you usually do not see are the struggles a top cricket team goes through.
If you want to witness jubilant scenes in the dressing room after Ausralia puts in an Herculean effort to draw a match against Pakistan in the UAE, when they win an ODI series against India in India in over a decade, crestfallen faces when Australia loses a home Test series against India for the first time, when they crash out of the World Cup against England in England, then do yourself a favor and tune in. The series gives an ample screen time to behind-the-scenes ups and downs that you do not usually see on the screen.
3. Role that a coach plays in the dressing room
I have a whole new level of respect for head coaches after watching Justin Langer play a central role in his team’s transformation. JL, as he is usually called, might appear to be a quiet and calm person on the screen. If that is the impression you have of him, you might be in for a surprise.
JL is the protagonist that Aussies needed at a time when the team lost its identity after the Cape Town incident. His competitivness as a coach, the standards he sets for his men and the respect (and fear, LOL) he commands is something to be revered (even if you hate Aussies, honestly).
4. What makes Aussies play the game
If I were to describe what makes Aussies play cricket, it would be:
“ Mateship”
Aussies love to use the word “ mate “. The word means more than just a friendship. It is standing up for your teammates, celebrating their successes and encouraging them to believe in their skills when they are going through a rough patch on the pitch.
To see specific incidences of what makes Aussies play the game and stick together, tune in, Mate.
5. Return of the fallen
The series also documents the return of Australia’s fallen heroes (probably the reason why this series was conceived in the first place). Having David Warner, Smithy and Bancroft return to the side in England makes their return even more momentous. If you want to witness the welcome that Barmy Army had in store for the trio, you would want to grab some popcorns before you start watching the series.
6. Love Cafe
This got to be my favorite part of the series; the bromance between Zampa and Stoinis. The Love Cafe is their ritual of making coffee in their hotel rooms on the match days, talking about the match and their bromance while sipping freshly brewed coffee.
Why is it my favorite part?
Because I grind my coffee beans, just as Zampa does in his hotel room.
Because I love the smell of the coffee, just as Zampa and Stoinis do.
That is how I related to the Aussies.
Hope you also find your favorite part of the series, Mate.
Originally published at http://crickraze.wordpress.com on March 28, 2020.
