Documentary series about the Australia men's cricket team
The Test
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Also known as
| The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team
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Genre
| Docu-series
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Directed by
| Adrian Brown
Sheldon Wynne (co-director seasons 2-3)
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Starring
| Australian national cricket team
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Country of origin
| Australia
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Original language
| English
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No.
of seasons
| 3
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No.
of episodes
| 15
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Producers
| Mish Armstrong
Adrian Brown
Richard Ostroff
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Production location
| Australia
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Running time
| 43-61 minutes
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Production companies
| Amazon Studios
Whooshka Media
Cricket Australia
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Network
| Amazon Prime Video
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Release
| 12 March 2020
(
2020-03-12
)
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The Test
, known as
The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team
in its first season, is an Australian
docu-series
, produced by
Amazon Studios
for
Amazon Prime Video
,
[1]
and co-produced by
Cricket Australia
.
[2]
The first season was released on Prime Video on 12 March 2020 and consists of 8 episodes.
[3]
A second season, consisting of 4 episodes, was released on 13 January 2023.
[4]
A 3-episode third season was released on 24 May 2024.
[5]
The docu-series follows the
Australian men's cricket team
. The first season follows the team's path to redemption under the leadership of captain
Tim Paine
and head coach
Justin Langer
in the 18 months after the
2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal
.
[6]
[7]
The second season follows the team after the exit of Paine as captain and the subsequent departure of Langer at the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022.
[4]
The third season follows the team in England during the
2023 Ashes series
.
[8]
An edited, feature-length version of the first season aired on the
Seven Network
on 4 October 2020.
[9]
Synopsis
[
edit
]
Season 1
[
edit
]
The first season is a behind-the-scenes look at the Australian men's team's fall from grace and its path to regain its integrity in the 18 months after the
2018 ball-tampering scandal
.
[2]
Episode 1
[
edit
]
The series begins with the
2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal
which rocks Australian cricket, the subsequent press conferences, and the bans from play for those found involved: captain
Steve Smith
, deputy
David Warner
, and Australian opener
Cameron Bancroft
.
Darren Lehmann
resigns as head coach, while
Tim Paine
replaces Smith as the new captain of the national team.
[10]
[2]
A few weeks later, former cricketer
Justin Langer
is announced by Cricket Australia as the new head coach. The episode ends with the promise of a better future under the leadership of Paine and Langer, who introduce an ethical code of conduct within the Australian setup as well as the gesture of shaking hands with the opposing team before the commencement of a match as a mark of respect and good sportsmanship.
Episodes 2-8
[
edit
]
The series then shifts to an account of the next 18 months of the Australian men's 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 win 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.
[11]
The last two episodes spotlights Australia's contributions during the
2019 Ashes series
, and documents
Steve Smith's hit on the neck with a bouncer during the Second Test
and Australia's near win in the Third Test without Smith. The season ends with Australia's retention of the Ashes urn by winning the Fourth Test.
Season 2
[
edit
]
The second season has four episodes and follows the team during the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, which sees the resignation of captain Tim Paine for improper conduct off the field as well as the departure of head coach Justin Langer amongst rumours of player dissatisfaction with his leadership style. During this period the team takes on England in the
2021?22 Ashes series
and
travels to Pakistan
for the first time in over two decades, as well as
drawing a test series against Sri Lanka
.
[4]
Season 3
[
edit
]
The third season has three episodes and follows the team in England during June and July 2023 as they take on India in the
2023 ICC World Test Championship final
before competing in the
2023 Ashes series
where they face a resurgent England and their new and aggressive "
Bazball
" playing style.
[8]
Cast
[
edit
]
Australian players and coaches
[
edit
]
Players from other teams
[
edit
]
Commentators and analysts
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"The Test: A New Era For Australia's Team"
.
www.amazon.com
. Retrieved
1 June
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
Rota, Genevieve (24 March 2020).
"Doco or propaganda? The Test shines light on Aussie cricket team"
.
The Sydney Morning Herald
. Retrieved
25 March
2020
.
- ^
McAllister, Aaron (12 March 2020).
"Amazon Prime Australia cricket docuseries release | Finder"
.
finder India
. Retrieved
25 March
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
Knox, David (7 December 2022).
"Returning: The Test"
.
TV Tonight
. Retrieved
7 December
2022
.
- ^
Laidlaw, Kyle (26 April 2024).
"Everything New Streaming this MAY 2024 on PRIME VIDEO"
.
TV Blackbox
. Retrieved
4 May
2024
.
- ^
Mohanarangan, Vinayakk (22 March 2020).
"From ball-tampering low to Ashes high, Steve Smith's redemption story is highlight of 'The Test'
"
.
Scroll.in
. Retrieved
25 March
2020
.
- ^
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
.
- ^
a
b
Knox, David (5 December 2023).
"Renewed: The Test"
.
TV Tonight
. Retrieved
4 May
2024
.
- ^
Knox, David (29 September 2020).
"Airdate: The Test"
.
TV Tonight
. Retrieved
4 October
2020
.
- ^
"
' The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team' review: Masterful storytelling of an unlikely underdog story"
.
The New Indian Express
. 21 March 2020
. Retrieved
25 March
2020
.
- ^
"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
.
External links
[
edit
]
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National teams
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State federations
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State teams
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Notes
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- Italics
indicate that the team no longer competes in state cricket
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Big Bash League
franchise teams
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Women's Big Bash League
franchise teams
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Competitions
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Grounds
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Honours
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Lists
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Other
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Current
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Non-English
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Ended
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Upcoming
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