A new format for Test cricket

(An extract from my book Eleven - Triumphs, Trials & Turbulence; Indian Cricket 2003-10, which becomes relevant in the wake of the monotonous and uninspiring drawn 2nd Test match between India and Sri Lanka at Colombo which compelled both the captains Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara to state that Test cricket needs to be completely revamped.)

The ICC has belatedly but thankfully bitten the bullet and accepted ground realities staring at it with a troubled expression; yes, Test cricket is under threat from a severe onslaught of T20/ODI cricket and faces a growing prospect of gradual but certain extinction. Strangely enough, the ICC is solely responsible for cannibalizing the erstwhile classic Tests, with its highly hurried, extremely exaggerated and unplanned promotion of T20, which has ended up creating a Frankenstein in the form of the monstrous IPL. It has become a self-destructive instrument of unparalleled proportions given it's exponential rise, at least so far. Now a desperate ICC is trying hard to save smudged face.

The result of the consequent mayhem has been the call for revamping Test cricket, and from the early shrill sounds of a 'four-day Test match etc' it is quite obvious that once again ICC will blunder by following some circuitous, near-sighted suggestions and come up with either a cosmetic change or make a complete mess of it.

We have to look at the challenge of reorienting Test cricket with clarity, reality and vision.

Simply put, Test cricket's real challenge stems from two main reasons:

The probability of drawn results after 5 long days - this is the biggest cause of growing disenchantment, accentuated by seeing the same or similar players achieve quick-fi re results in T20 cricket within a space of 40 overs and 3 hours. The changing demographics and media imperatives are clearly dictating the game's future.

The threat is real, no matter how exciting Test matches have been of late and even if they have produced some thrilling draws as well (like the recent Ashes Test). The single biggest lacunae remains the high potentiality of matches drifting to an inconclusive draw. For the on-ground spectator or the in-front TV viewer, it appears like a crucial waste of valuable investment of scarce time. It is sacrilege. Finally, everyone wants to see a winner. Or a loser.

In short, we need to have a format that guarantees a clear result. In football and hockey draws are acceptable, because the matches are a maximum of 90 minutes, but even then as matches reach the knock-out stage, extra-time and penalty shoot-outs ensure a result. Finally, you have someone holding aloft a trophy. In cricket, it is not just a drawn Test match that has people tearing their hair out, but the frightening prospect of a drawn series as well with all matches being squared off with no results.

Test cricket in any case loses huge spectator and TV audience due to it's timings, as it inevitably runs into week-days and office-hours and also when students have school and college commitments. Thus, an uninspiring structure (as seen by modern watchers as compared to us unhurried and patient connoisseurs) gets further hit by the intrinsic unavoidable decline in viewing patterns.

There are a few additional reasons as well, such as the limited number of Test playing nations and the sheer monotony of watching the same slugfest between the traditional adversaries (frankly, barring history, what is so great about the Ashes anymore?), but the larger over-riding reasons are the two mentioned above.

So what is the solution?

Submit the following amendments to Test cricket to ensure; one, a definite result, and secondly, increase audience and viewership.

Recommended changes to Test cricket: Cricket should still be played over 5 days - NO CHANGE (except for the World Test Championships only which could be extended to 6 days).

Each playing day to have 100 overs (relative to today's 90); thus, matches should begin earlier. We will have a maximum of 500 overs in a Test match.

Each team gets to play a minimum of 125 overs per team (125x4) = 500 overs.

If Team A batting first gets out under 125 overs, then the balance remaining overs gets added to the other Team B. For example, if Team A is bowled out in 97 overs in the first innings, then Team B gets to bat an additional 125+28 overs (unused overs) = 153 overs if it chooses to.

If Team B is all out in it's fi rst innings for 100 overs, then Team A can now bat for 125+53 overs (unused overs) = 178 overs in Team A's second innings.

As a result, in the fourth and fi nal innings Team B will have to score

xxx runs in at least 125 overs, or more depending on how many overs it took to dismiss the other team and the balance unutilised overs.

If Team B fails to score more than Team A score despite having wickets in hand, it will stand to lose the match, unlike currently where it results in a drawn Test.

A winning chase is now mandated and the winner is the one with a higher aggregate score. This ensures a certain, guaranteed result to a Test match.

Increasing crowds/TV audience

1. Wherever possible (where floodlit facilities exist) Test matches should

become day-night affairs. This will help people 'hang-out', the same compelling reason T20 and ODIs actually works.

2. The new timings will capture the post-college/ work-day traffic on TV as well.

3. I also suggest that we should allow teams to play in colored clothing. Frankly, other than Wimbledon aren't all OTHER Grand slam tennis tournaments played in multicolored attire? And it does not change the intensity or competitiveness of the tournament a wee bit. By now, players are in any case used to playing with colored balls.

4. A one-day buffer day must exist for rain delays and wash-outs.

5. In the event of rain/disruptions causing temporary interruption, the Duckworth-Lewis formula with suitable adjustments should be made applicable, thus enforcing result.

Everything else should be ceteris paribus.

There is no need to introduce player substitutions, field restrictions, 'no ball and free hit' or any other change of this sort.

Under this format, Test cricket will see a resurrection and a guaranteed take-off from it's currently dwindling fortunes.