The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team

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The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team
Genre docu-series
Based on 2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal
Directed byAdrian Brown
Starring
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Producer Amazon Prime Video
Production locationAustralia
Running time43-61 minutes per episode
Release
Original network Amazon Prime Video
Original release12 March 2020 (2020-03-12)

The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team, also known as The Test, is a 2020 Australian English-language TV docu-series, produced for Amazon Prime Video. [1] The docu-series was also co-produced by Cricket Australia. It was released on Amazon Prime on 12 March 2020 and consists of 8 episodes. [2]

Contents

The docu-series follows the Australia men's cricket team's path to redemption under the captaincy of Tim Paine with the joint effort under Justin Langer who was appointed as the head coach of the Australian cricket team in 2018. [3] It focuses on 18 months of the Australian team as it went through a rough phase and transition in the aftermath of the Australian ball-tampering scandal which emerged in March 2018. [4]

An edited, feature-length version of the series aired on the Seven Network on 4 October 2020. [5]

Cast

Storyline

Episode 1

This series is a behind-the-scenes glance which takes a look at the Australian men's team's fall from grace and being forced to retain its legacy, title and integrity. The series begins with the 2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal which rocked Australian cricket, the subsequent press conferences, and the bans from play for Captain Steve Smith, deputy David Warner, and Australian opener Cameron Bancroft. Darren Lehmann resigned as head coach, while Tim Paine replaced Smith as the new captain of the national team. [6] [7]

A few weeks later, former cricketer Justin Langer was announced by Cricket Australia as the new head coach. Despite the odds, the sequence of events ends up with the promise of a better future under the leadership of Paine and Langer who also introduced ethical code of conduct within the Australian setup and also introduced the method of shaking hands before the commencement of a match.

Episode 2-8

The series then shifts to an account of the next 18 months of the Australian Men's Cricket team from their sole perspective. It includes their first draws against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, India's first test series win during the Australian Summer as well as Australia's first wins against Sri Lanka, their time in India for ODI's and Twenty20 games, and the return of Smith and Warner to the team just before the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England. [8]

The last two episodes spotlights on Australia's contribution during the 2019 Ashes series, which includes Steve Smith hit in the neck with a bouncer during the Second Test, Australia's near win in the Third Test without Smith, with the series finishing on Australia's retention of the Ashes urn by winning the Fourth Test.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal</span> Cricket cheating scandal

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References

  1. "The Test: A New Era For Australia's Team". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  2. McAllister, Aaron (12 March 2020). "Amazon Prime Australia cricket docuseries release | Finder". finder India. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  3. Mohanarangan, Vinayakk. "From ball-tampering low to Ashes high, Steve Smith's redemption story is highlight of 'The Test'". Scroll.in. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  4. Balachandran, Kanishkaa (18 March 2020). "'The Test' review: Amazon Prime docu-series is all about the Australian cricket team's path to redemption". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  5. Knox, David (29 September 2020). "Airdate: The Test". TV Tonight. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  6. "' The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team' review: Masterful storytelling of an unlikely underdog story". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  7. Rota, Genevieve (24 March 2020). "Doco or propaganda? The Test shines light on Aussie cricket team". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  8. "Cricket Australia, The Test on Amazon Prime, video: Tim Paine and Virat Kohli sledge in Perth". Fox Sports. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.