In an international cricket schedule dominated increasingly by Twenty20 clashes and one-day games, it is fortuitous that the New Zealand team's next match is a test against Zimbabwe.
The Napier encounter, starting on January 26, will be a chance for the Black Caps to receive the applause they have earned for their nail-biting victory over Australia in Hobart.
But it is also an opportunity to celebrate the form of the game that continues to defy doomsayers by producing sporting drama of the highest quality.
Many have predicted the passing of test cricket. All sorts of marketing gurus have suggested ways of breathing life into its supposed corpse. They need not have bothered.
Events of the past month have proved the product is just fine. In addition to New Zealand's seven-run win over its biggest rival, there have been riveting tests between Australia and South Africa and a clash between India and West Indies in Mumbai that went right down to the last ball.
