Test cricket can be pleasing to eye if it is played on good pitches, batting great Sachin Tendulkar said on Sunday, terming 22-yard strip longest format's "heart" and key to its revival. To support his point, Sachin Tendulkar cited, as for an example, surface used for Ashes Test at Lord's last week, which saw a fierce contest between Steve Smith and Jofra Archer. " heart of Test cricket is kind of surface that you play on. If you provide good pitches, cricket cant be boring, cricket cant be damp, and (re will always) be those exciting moments, exciting bowling spells, great batting and that is what people want to see," Sachin Tendulkar said. He was speaking on sidelines of Mumbai Half Marathon.

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Sachin Tendulkar uses Smith-Archer incident to hint at rising interest for Test cricket

Sachin Tendulkar felt duel between Archer and Smith, which included a nasty bouncer that felled Australian ace, got viewers hooked and me Test cricket thrilling to watch. "Smith got injured unfortunately, that was a big blow to him but Test cricket was exciting when Jofra Archer challenged him, it suddenly became exciting and focus shifted to Test cricket. He ded: "At Lord's, y lost almost a day and a half, but Test match got exciting even on last day when England picked those wickets and Australia h to survive. Test cricket suddenly became exciting and that is how it should be." Steve Smith was floored by a whacker from Jofra Archer following which he was forced to walk off field.

After ODI World Cup, teams have turned ir focus on maiden World Test Championships, which started with Australia taking on England in Ashes. "People almost kind of forgot that four-five weeks ago, re was World Cup being played in England, body is talking about that, everyone is talking about Test cricket," legendary batsman said. Sachin Tendulkar, who has played 200 Tests and amassed 15921 runs, emphasized  need to prepare "interesting tracks" to revive interest in longest format.

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Sachin Tendulkar impressed with Marnus Labuschagne

"I think Test cricket is going to revive if we produce interesting tracks, but if tracks are flat and de n Test cricket is going to find its challenges. "I kw this Test World Championship has been anunced but even to have this World Championship, you got to make cricket interesting, just by having ar championship, cricket is t going to get interesting," he said. Sachin Tendulkar, who is highest run-getter in Test cricket, stressed on art of leaving and defending ball while heaping praise on Australian batsman Marnus Labuchange, who came into team after Smith was ruled out. "I have been watching a few Ashes and I thought someone like Marnus Labuschagne has left ball brilliantly, which is something that you don't get to see in Test cricket. rmally you tend to glide those balls to third man and pick a single. But kind of surfaces y are playing on, if you steer ball you go to dressing room. You need to leave those balls or defend solidly. And guys who have t been able to do that, y have been watching game from dressing room," he said.

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About half-marathon

Meanwhile, on half-marathon, Sachin Tendulkar said that it has grown in numbers over years. " response has been incredible, when we started re were 6,000 participants and today we have 20,000 which is a huge number. This movement has gared momentum. " combination of physical fitness and mental fitness is important. Once you have that balance results follow, that is what our target is." 

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