What makes cricket so beautiful?

For the five long days of summer England receives each year, someone thought it was a good idea to make a game that goes on for all five of them. What was born as a children’s game in the 13th-century English countryside has evolved to become a source of excitement, torment, and entertainment for millions.

What about this sport makes one thrilled to watch a game being played for the fifth consecutive day? Why do Indians make fan edits of Pat Cummins, the Australian captain who crushed their World Cup dream? Why does it hurt to see an opposition that does not make you worry about losing?

Each delivery is, hence, a separate contest

The fundamental structure of the game might be the reason. Cricket, in one sentence is, ‘the bowler launches a ball and the batter attempts to play it’. The batter thus, must play each ball on its merit. Consider a coin toss for instance. Getting Tails on the first toss does not imply that the probability of getting Tails on the next one changes. The previous outcome has no effect on the next. Likewise, the outcome of the previous delivery or the last hundred deliveries do not impact the outcome of the next. Each delivery is, hence, a separate contest.

This is why a stalwart like Steve Smith lost his wicket to Shamar Joseph bowling his first ever International Test Match delivery. Virat Kohli, the global representative of cricket, had no answer to a stump rattling delivery from Himanshu Sangwan, a domestic bowler unknown to the world the day before. Smith and Kohli are still considered mortals. Even the ‘God of Cricket’, Sachin Tendulkar, was sent back to the dressing room by 18 year old Bhuvneshwar Kumar in a domestic match.

Batters too, cherish humbling the bowlers. Sam Konstas, 19 year old debutant for Australia stunned everyone when he took on Jasprit Bumrah, that year’s ‘Cricketer of the Year’. Glenn Maxwell, injured during a World Cup match, could barely walk, scored a dream-like double-century to bring Australia back from an otherwise lost game against the Afghan bowlers.

Nobody knows if the next ball will be better than Shane Warne’s Ball of the Century’

Cricketers who play the next ball without the baggage of their reputation are considered the greats when they do this relentlessly. In cricket, reputations and expectations are challenged almost every time. Thus, each player can be the hero that day and unlock opportunities. Cricket opens many more doors than it closes, and a closed door is often just a knock away, pun intended, from being opened. Marnus performed so well as a substitute that he cemented a spot in the Australian team.

Each delivery’s uncertain outcome makes each game unpredictable. Nobody knows if the next ball will be better than Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’. Listen to old cricket podcasts and chuckle at how wrong the predictions of even the experts were. That is because playing better cricket for most of the game does not guarantee a win if the opposition can play well during the period of the game which matters the most. Bangladesh was prepared to dance with just three balls left, but it was MS Dhoni and his India that ended up celebrating after the T20 World Cup Quarterfinal in 2016.

We all love some drama. The appreciation for a close contest between bat and ball makes each ball, each over, each innings and each match thrilling. It is also why an opposing World Cup Winning captain is admired and winning a one-sided game is considered as interesting as watching paint dry. The dramatics of the sport are not just contained in the stadiums, they have made a place in a million households where it is a unifying source of entertainment and conversation at the dining table.