Leg and Off: Should Test matches be a 4-day affair as suggested by Michael Vaughan?

Cricket is not a polished or a finished product, which always leaves room for innovation. Over the years a lot has changed in terms of how the game is played and viewed, but an attempt has been made to respect its tradition, and stay true to it as much as possible.

One of the most solid foundations of cricket has been the longest format. The introduction of the World Test Championship (WTC) has elevated its importance. The impending Test fund, and the general relevance given to the format despite the meteoric rise of T20 and the franchise model suggest that red-ball cricket in a safe space.

One of the basic fundamentals of Test cricket has been the fact that it spans over the course of five days. Ever since timeless Tests was scrapped, this has been the norm. However, a recent trend of results spurred on by a more result-driven approach has made Day 5 a rare sight.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan recently suggested that Test cricket is better off played within a four-day timeframe, instead of five. His remarks came after Australia defeated India by 10 wickets in the second Test at the Adelaide Oval before Lunch on Day 3.

“We’ve got players that are incredibly entertaining now. I’d start on a Thursday and finish on a Sunday. I believe four-day cricket would be easier to schedule. It’d be easy for everyone to understand that Test match, cricket starts every Thursday when we’re playing the Test match game and it finishes on a Sunday… if it makes it to Sunday," Vaughan told SEN Afternoons (via Indian Express).

"Let’s be honest, the way that the players go out and play their business now, they don’t play like I used to play or some of the teams back in the 80s and 90s played.

“They’re playing a brand of cricket which is pretty much to try and win as quick as they possibly can and put the opposition under pressure. So, I genuinely believe that the administrators around the world need to seriously consider if it’s time to go from five (days) to four," he added.

On that note, let us take a look at how a potential shift to four-day Tests could impact the cricketing world.

#1 Day 5 is an unofficial reserve day anyway these days

An overwhelming number of games fail to make it to the final day, which makes 'unused Day 5', two things - a burden on the cricketing calendar, and a massive waste of resources.

It has been clear for quite a while that all three formats along with franchise cricket would not be sustainable from the broadcasters' and fans' perspective, and more importantly for the players too. The cricketing calendar is in need of some desperate breathing space, and removing a day from each Test, could be a start.

Had this change been implemented earlier, there would have been a fear of draws piling up. However, with the way the format is being approached, tame results do not arise as a concern. The reduction in one day might play on the back of the players' minds in terms of their strategy and approach, but it is likely to be a slight mental shift more than anything else, because nothing out of normalcy needs to be done.

One of the major challenges that the format has had to tackle, and still does in a way, is to make it profitable for the teams outside the Big Three. A lot of finances are involved in setting up a venue, broadcasters, and advertising, along with ticket sales, promising five days of action.

The costs for the latter portion of the Test are futile at the moment, plunging the financial state of smaller teams, who are already struggling to hype up their matches among broadcasters and their own fans.

Reducing a day would ease the financial strain on them, as they do not have to shell out money to conduct five days worth of play.

#2 The four-day formula has seen success in domestic and exhibition matches

Taking international cricket aside, the majority of first-class cricket is being played in a four-day format - whether it be the County Championship, the Ranji Trophy, or the Sheffield Shield. Even the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has conducted four-day Tests that have been approved by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Prior to the 2023 Ashes, England played against Ireland in a four-day encounter. Their upcoming red-ball clash against Zimbabwe is also scheduled for the summer of 2025 as a four-day contest rather than a full-fledged conventional five-day Test.

There is not much to differentiate as such between the modern-day four-day domestic matches, and international five-day matches, except for the quality, which is naturally expected. However, in terms of rate of run-scoring, and fewer draws, both run parallel, which makes the use of a fifth day in Tests quite redundant.

The ticket sales of Day 4 and 5 in Tests have plummeted to a great extent, that even the iconic Lord's cut a sorry figure during England's home season. With matches finishing inside five days on a regular basis, even fans have lost faith into committing themselves, and expecting a last-day finish live from the stadium.

#3 Is shortening the longest format the sacrifice that has to be made for smoother scheduling?

Shaving a day off Test match to ease the pressure on the cricketing calendar sends a wrong message, considering that Test cricket had no role to play in the creation of the mess. Just because shaving a day off the format does not bring major repercussions with it, does not mean that it should be done.

Furthermore, an ideal cricketing schedule is a myth anyway. Any potential space is going to be occupied in some way or the other in the future, whether it be IPL's expansion or a reboot of Champions League T20 to fully take cricket into the football club-based model.

There is also a case of not needing to repair something that is not broken. Test cricket is alive and flourishing at the minute, and workload management is also being emphasized by teams, making fixture congestion not such a huge concern as it seems. There seems to be an unsaid equilibrium between Tests, the rest of the international cricket, and franchise cricket at the minute, which could be disturbed significantly if any change is introduced now.

Teams have learned to prioritize according to their needs, and nearly all of them, are more than capable of fielding a second-string unit. The incubation period for domestic prospects and youngsters to fit into international cricket is less than ever, as a result, lack of competitiveness should not be an issue.

#4 Test cricket's packaging needs fixing, not its duration

The reduction of a Test match's duration makes a serious case, and is largely debatable. However, the format has far more pressing issues than how long it runs.

When prominent players like Ben Stokes call WTC, the premier event of the longest format, 'weird' and 'confusing', it does not paint the event in good light, and Test cricket in extension. The disparity is clearly shown in the points table, with an uneven number of matches, a questionable point distribution system leaving a huge mess.

Fans are largely satisfied with the quality of Test cricket, with competitive series being put out on a regular basis. However, the lack of matches for teams aside from the big 3, and the percentage of matches where nothing is at stake apart from pride is a concern.

Resolving this disparity and making the WTC a much more balanced affair needs to be the sole priority right now. Even if matches are reduced by a day, it does not change the state of affairs as far as the WTC is concerned. If a competition is lopsided even before it begins, it will fail to attract new interest, no matter how good the quality is from the inside in terms of matches.