Test cricket has long been defined by its five-day nature, but the format is increasingly seeing matches finish well before the scheduled fifth day. Former England captain Michael Atherton believes the trend is the result of several changes in modern cricket, ranging from the influence of T20 batting to more bowler-friendly pitches, the impact of DRS and the emergence of a strong group of fast bowlers.Speaking on Sky Sports during the rain-delayed start to Day 3 of England’s second Test against Pakistan, Atherton broke down why Test matches are producing quicker results in the current decade. His comments came after the recent Australia-Bangladesh Test in Mackay was completed inside two days, adding to a growing list of remarkably short matches.
T20 influence, DRS and bowling-friendly pitches
Atherton identified several factors behind the change, beginning with the increasingly aggressive approach to batting that has developed alongside the growth of T20 cricket.“If I give 4-5 reasons from the top of my head, we would go into each one: batting is higher risk now because of T20 cricket. If you take more risk, you have more chance of getting out. There’s a good crop of fast bowlers around right now. DRS has had an impact; umpires are more likely to give LBWs,” Atherton said.He also pointed towards changes in pitches during the World Test Championship era. According to Atherton, the importance of home advantage in the WTC has encouraged teams to prepare surfaces that offer more assistance to their own bowlers.“Pitches have become more advantageous since the advent of the World Test Championship; teams are generally looking to get home advantage more. So, whether it is turning pitches in India, or seam-friendly pitches in England, pitches have become more bowling-friendly since the advent of WTC,” he said.
Stats underline the dramatic shift
The statistics shared by Sky Sports during the England-Pakistan Test underline just how significantly the length of Test matches has changed.According to Sky Sports’ data, only 41.43% of Tests in the 2020s have lasted all five days. That figure was as high as 77.65% in the 1970s and stood at 54.76% in the 2010s.At the other end of the spectrum, Tests lasting just two or three days have become considerably more common. Sky Sports’ figures show that 23% of Tests in the 2020s have finished within two or three days, compared with only 2.79% in the 1970s.Atherton also compared the current trend with his playing era in the 1990s and highlighted the increase in matches ending within three days.“When Nas (Nasser Hussain) and I were playing in the 1990s, the number of games finished in three days or less was around about 7 per cent (6.98 per cent). And that is now 20 per cent, so that is a big difference,” he said.The former England captain also pointed to a striking statistic from Sky Sports’ graphic on day-wise Test finishes.“In the last decade (from 2017-current), there have been nine occasions where Test matches have finished in two days, and there wasn’t a single two-day Test between 1946 and 2000. The Test matches are going quicker,” Atherton said.
