It was a summer of cricket that had it all for fans of the game! BazBall showcased the most aggressive onslaught of batting seen in Test cricket from the Poms, the “Spirit of the Game” was brought into question over a perfectly legal run out, and an injury to the GOAT, Nathan Lyon, saw the emergence of the future of Australian cricket in Todd Murphy.
And for their third season, the team behind documentary series The Test were there to capture all the highlights and lowlights, on and off the pitch!
This three-episode iteration of the series begins with the Australian men’s cricket team taking on India in the ICC World Championships, a first of it’s kind series of games that pitted the long-standing rivals against each other as the two top ranked teams in the world. After Australia taking the win in that championship, all eyes turned to England, as the Aussie’s return to the United Kingdom for what could only be described as the most heated Ashes’ series of all-time.
The foundation that has been set by The Test directors Adrian Brown and Sheldon Wynne over the last two seasons has been built on quite nicely for this latest addition to the series. The way Brown and Wynne dynamically capture the cricket itself is incredibly exhilarating, and can make the most basic, technical moments carry an amazing amount of weight emotionally. Each scene of cricket is as tense and white-knuckle as any action movie, whether you understand the rules of the game or not.
But what The Test does for those who may not find cricket as exciting as others is have a raw, intimate narrative that captures the players raw recollections of their mindsets in these high-pressure moments. Interviews with captain Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, and many more, provide such fascinating insight into what makes these players tick, and the insane reactions they had to one of the most insane Summer’s of cricket.
Nothing is off limits as the Australian team recounts their views on BazBall, plus the unprecedented access to the locker rooms allows the audience to see the instant reactions to that Johhny Bairstow run out by wicket-keeper Alex Carey, which is not something to miss!
The Test also allows fans into the worlds of certain players outside of the game and getting to know and understand the Australian cricket team as the men, brothers, and fathers many of them are, allows for the emotional investment into their lives and stories to be a smooth entry for the viewer.
Three seasons in and The Test shows no signs of slowing down as it captures not just what cricket die-hards love about the game, but allows all audiences to have an intimate and accessible entry point into the players who done the white every summer. And with a huge series of cricket coming up for Australia against rivals India in late 2024, fingers crossed that we get to see even more of The Test!
All three episodes of The Test season three will stream on Prime Video from May 24.
