Short and sweet!

Each time a Test match culminates in a conclusion within the remarkably short timeframe of three days, or God forbid two, a familiar sequence is maintained. Some enjoy the spectacle regardless of its span, others find ways to whinge. The blame is oftentimes squarely placed on the pitch conditions, whether seaming or spinning.

A handful of others also perceive such short matches as an intriguing anomaly within cricket, highlighting the highly unpredictable nature of the sport. They acknowledge the limitations posed by condensed play, citing the intensified pressure on teams to adapt swiftly to conditions and strategise more effectively within a limited timeframe.

Most of all, across the board, the affront is apparently that these truncated encounters are a departure from the fundamental essence of Test cricket. Such matches, resembling a sprint rather than the customary marathon, stand out as anomalies in the cricketing history, prompting scrutiny and fascination among cricket enthusiasts and experts alike.

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Pitch conditions, incisive bowling attacks, erratic weather seemingly, or a combination thereof, can all contribute to the accelerated pace of these matches. An innocuous surface might transmute into a battleground for bowlers, rendering it exceptionally challenging for batters to settle in and build innings.

After this week's brief Test between India and South Africa at Cape Town, the Newlands pitch has been the target from both public and pundits. South Africa's long-serving and retiring captain Dean Elgar labelled it as ‘challenging', highlighting its unpredictable nature. India's strike bowler, Mohammed Siraj, reckoned that he didn't think it was a 55-all-out pitch ahead of the start of play. Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri minced no words and called it ‘dangerous', to which fellow broadcaster Shaun Pollock willingly agreed.

In fact, the persistent narrative of 23 dismissals on the opening day of the second and final Test underscored the gripping contest where both batting line-ups grappled with the demands imposed by a surface seemingly favouring the bowlers. The astounding frequency of wickets falling throughout the contest served as a testament to the gripping drama that emphasised the riveting and fluctuating nature of red-ball cricket.

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Bowlers, in particular, revel in the opportunity provided by such conditions. A potent bowling unit can exploit the slightest vagaries in the pitch, utilising seam movement or prodigious spin to dismantle batting line-ups swiftly, like in the Newlands Test. Conditions that offer bounce, swing, or turn within the first hour of play can tilt the balance heavily in favour of the bowling side, ushering in a flurry of wickets and amplifying the intensity of the contest.

Challenging pitch conditions are okay. So is a Test match that is more severe than usual. Virat Kohli's innings of 46 was worth more than some of his benign hundreds. Perhaps, the conditions would have become menacing had the match gone longer, but it wasn't and didn't. Anyone who believes it favoured Aiden Markram's batting, or Team India, must have steered clear of the bigger picture.

But what it did favour was some positive batting approach given the jeopardy of survival under testing conditions.

Markram's century was extraordinary not only for its timing, but for the plain fact that he defied a pitch on which the highest score of any of his teammates in either innings was no more than 15. Despite his commendable effort, the hosts could not capitalise on and complement his century effectively enough to sway the game in their favour.

But all in all, it was fascinating, a tad historic, but most importantly, something to remember!