Back in March 1877, England locked horns with Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the first officially recognized Test match in the history of the sports. Over the years, it became a pivotal platform that gave birth to some of the biggest names in cricket. But, a format that was once considered cricket's bread and butter, has been going through a process of slow death for quite some time now.

The modern-day spectator isn't patient enough to watch the game for five days. The advent of Twenty20 cricket, offering slam-bang action and excitement on almost every delivery, has only added to the woes for the longest version of the game. And, if that's not enough, the ever-increasing disparity in the level of cricket and lack of an even contest has led to the downfall of the longest format.

Even though there are ten nations playing Test cricket, it seems that only three to four teams are playing enough Test cricket. The rest are either not playing enough of it or are just not technically capable of playing the game at the highest level.

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Despite their loss to South Africa, the Australians were unbeatable at home. The English giants, too, have been a hard nut to crack in their own backyard. And, the Indian side - under the tutelage of Virat Kohli - went on a record-breaking spree in the sub-continent.

While the cricketing giants continued to shatter records and ascended in the ICC rankings, the minnows or so-called underdogs were only restricted to being the whipping boys of the game. West Indies' last Test series win dates back to 2014, while Bangladesh came out on top in a Test series against Zimbabwe in 2014/15.

So when the Windies came knocking at the doors of England and Bangladesh geared up to host mighty Australians, given their previous record, few would have backed the underdogs to spring a surprise on the cricketing giants. But, the surprise came nonetheless. The one that reminded every ardent cricket fan what a scintillating Test match felt like.

2 upsets in 2 days! Inspiring performance by @BCBtigers! Test cricket is thriving #BANvAUS

First up were the Englishmen who witnessed a resurgent Windies brigade eke out a sensational win in the second Test at Leeds. Ridiculed roundly after the innings defeat in Edgbaston, the Caribbean boys registered a thrilling five-wicket win on the final day to level the three-match series 1-1.

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Shai Hope, who became the first batsman to score centuries in both innings of a first-class match at Headingley, shrugged the monkey off his back with a maiden Test ton and then brutally booted it from the room with another hundred to guide his side to their first win Test win in England since 2000.

If the Windies got rid of their long-associated push-over tag, the ever-improving Bangladeshi brigade, too, turned the tables on the mighty Australian team. Spinner Nathan Lyon (6-82) had spun Bangladesh out cheaply and David Warner (112) played one of the greatest innings on a raging turner in the second innings but eventually, it was all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan who proved a tad too good for the Aussies.

Well done Bangladesh. Special effort to beat Australia. #BANvAUS

After a five-for in the first innings, Shakib recorded another fifer as Australia's travails against spin continued till they collapsed in a heap. Chasing 264, the Steve Smith-led side was cruising at 158/2 when Shakib ended Warner's onslaught on his teammates. Soon, the Australian skipper followed his deputy back into the hut and later watched the horror unfold from the dressing room.

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Bangladesh, who were dismissed of their chances by Smith ahead of the series, pulled off a heist with a thrilling 20-run win over Australia. It was Bangladesh's 10th victory in 101 Tests and their first-ever triumph against Australia in the longest version of the game.

Shakib becomes the first player in Test history to score 80+ in an innings and take 10 wickets in a match - twice #BANvAUS

The invincibility of the cricket giants like Australia and England was finally over. They had been stunned by the sides who weren't even considered a threat, let alone expected to come out on top against the prominent sides. The triumphs by both Bangladesh and West Indies are the ones all cricket enthusiasts dream of. Theirs was a contest that has, for long, eluded the longest format.

At a time when people are more inclined towards the entertainment quotient in the game and cricket pundits are still wondering if T20 is here to complement the traditional format or kill the old bastard off, the recent wins like Bangladesh's and West Indies' is what has kept our faith alive in a five-day format currently fighting for its survival.