Google dedicates Doodle to Test cricket on 140th birthday

The cricketing universe celebrates a very special day today – on 15th March 1877 for the first time a Test match was played between two national teams. It was between the inventors of the game England and Australia one of those colonies of the UK that adapted the game at a very early stage. The venue for the match was the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. As Test cricket celebrates its 140th birthday Google dedicated today’s doodle to the historic event.

It depicts two batsmen – the striker and the non-striker, the batsman has hit the ball in the air and the fielders have their eyes glued as it flies well over their heads. In a statement, Google said: “Today’s Doodle hits the deck with a light-hearted rendering that captures the spirit of sportsmanship and the inaugural Test match,”

Keep your eyes on the ball is an important lesson every coach teaches an aspiring cricketer no matter if he is a batsman or a bowler. Google also wanted to emphasize that with the doodle today. ‘Never lose sight of the cricket ball and you will always be in action’ is another popular saying in the cricketing circles. “Mustachioed and muscle-bound, the batsmen, bowlers and opposition fielders spring into action, never losing sight of the red ball,” it said.

Coming back to the first Test, though England had a pretty established squad taking field in the game they found stiff competition from the Australians. The Aussies batted first with Charles Bennerman taking guard against Alfred Shaw thus the duo became the first batsman and bowler to bowl and bat in Test cricket. Bennerman had a magnificent debut as he relished the opportunity of facing the English bowlers and went on to score his maiden century and the first in the history of Test cricket in the inaugural game.

He scored 165 runs before retiring hurt after suffering an injury on the index finger of his right hand. The match went to Australia as they beat England by 45 runs. It marked the beginning of one of the most fiercely contested rivalries in Test cricket now called the Ashes.