If cricket is a sport littered with ironies, here's another example: In the season of the much-talked-about World Test Championship which aims to give more impetus to the traditional game, India and New Zealand pad up for yet another illogical two-Test series; the number of games being too few for it to end up as a memorable contest.

It's astounding to discover that while past and present Test players go on about how Test match cricket is the real thing, there are not enough voices to condemn two-Test series which many a time don't provide an actual picture of dominance. The series which kicks off tomorrow will be the third time that both countries have agreed to a truncated contest in Kiwiland. There were two on Indian soil as well during the 2003-04 and 2012-13 seasons. India v New Zealand Test contests ought to be given more importance and these two-Test gigs border on the inconsequential.