Gamini Dissanayake, who moved heaven and earth to win Test status for Sri Lanka.

Test Cricket has been the essence of this great game since its inception, which had its roots on English soil.

The cricketing legends of the past, whose names appeared in the sports section of ‘The Island’ Newspaper of 3.1.2009 under the heading ‘I.C.C. announces cricketer’s hall of fame’ gives an insight to the brilliance of these achievers, in all aspects of the game, through the ages.

They played this ‘Gentleman’s Game’, for the love of it and for the glory of their motherland.

Money never came into the equation.

With the passage of time, the bright lights of Test cricket were dimmed, with commercialism, that raised its ugly head.

In its wake, Test cricket came under a cloud.

A case in point is the stance adopted by Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene and some senior members, who backed out of the two match Test series to be played in England early this year. They did so since their eyes were focused on the IPL gold mine.

They had the backing of the Sports Minister, who’s clueless about the rudiments of this game.

Their act was a slur on the late Gamini Dissanayake, who moved heaven and earth to win Test status for Sri Lanka.

However, The silver lining is that there is still a glow in Test cricket.

It was the South Africa cricket team led by the dynamic Graeme Smith on their current tour of Australia, who rekindled the flames of Test cricket, with their dramatic series win against their hosts. Their effort was a remarkable achievement in the annals of Test cricket.

Australia, which held center stage in world cricket for over a decade, led by their arrogant captain Ricky Ponting, were only hell-bent on winning at any cost. In their endeavor, their trump card was sledging, which they specialised in.

Their proud boast as world champions and the number one team in the ICC rankings, were at stake, when they were grounded to dusk, in the first and second Tests and had to face a series defeat in their backyard after a period of 16 years, and they had to eat humble pie at the hands of the triumphant Proteas who had the last laugh, when they made a mockery of the world champions, who thought that they were invincible on their own soil.

Pride, they say, comes before destruction.