4-Day or 5-Day Test Matches: Which Is Going to Be the Future?
There is a huge discussion that erupts time to time regarding the future of test cricket. Does test cricket deserve a 5-day format, or is it time to reduce the game days to 4? One report states that until August 2019, 13 out of 19 five-day Tests finished within four days, which is around 68.42%, the highest ever for a calendar year in which a minimum of ten Tests have been played. In 2018, it was 56.25% (27 out of 48 five-day Tests), and in 2017, it was 47.83% (22 out of 46 five-day Tests). In the last few years, we have seen massive changes in test cricket. For a long time, we have been complaining about players’ technical flaws and how they should approach test cricket. Despite this, test games have reached a stage where we need to consider the frequency of test day plays. Let’s not forget, when test cricket started, it usually lasted 3 or 4 days, so why not now? We could see more results rather than draws. As a test cricket viewer, I want to see hard fights, but at the same time, playing 15 sessions is difficult in the era of leagues.
Why are such discussions erupting? There have been numerous reasons if we consider the last few months. In contention, we see that test matches are starting to conclude in 3 or 4 days. Perhaps this is because the quality of teams and their approach to test cricket does not match the expectations of test cricket viewers. However, on the other side, there are many positive signs as well. Test cricket has become more result-oriented, evidenced by first-inning scores reaching around 300+ on the first day in most games, which is a very good sign. Additionally, after the World Test Championship (WTC) became the most valuable test tournament, rules such as playing 90 overs per day have made things interesting. In the last 7 test matches between India vs. England (5-test match series) and Australia vs. New Zealand (2-test match series), all 7 test matches were completed in under 4 days. Recently, I had a conversation with Toby Reynolds, who is the sports editor in London. He mentioned that a few England officials suggested making a 4-day test match with a 115-over game, which seems like a balanced step, especially for broadcasters. However, as a cricketer, especially as a bowler, this step seems harsh. There are many other suggestions being discussed, but it’s a serious time to maintain the gentleman format of the gentlemen’s game.