5 reasons why four-day Test cricket will not work

#4 The pitch cannot deteriorate in time

The 22-yard surface is playing a key role in the survival of Test cricket

The pitches used for today’s cricket have generally been good over the past 18 months across the globe. They have offered something for everyone – batsmen, pacers and the spinners at some point in the game. Hence, we are seeing some intriguing and fascinating Test matches.

However, once Test cricket is played only over four days, most home teams might start tinkering with the pitch. They might just start producing rank turners or might leave a lot of grass on the pitch in a bid to produce results.

We saw these kinds of pitches used in the Freedom Series in 2015 or when Australia toured Sri Lanka in 2016. The pitches on offer were rank turners where batsmen hardly could get substantial scores. The highest total in the former series was 334 (in the last Test) and in the latter series was 355 (again in the final Test). Also, Tests in these series ended inside three days.

Hence, it’s important to strike balance between bat and ball and the pitch is one of the main factors affecting the balance of the game.