Test cricket needs a major booster shot

Some suggestions...

1. Forced 1st innings declarations: This would be ideal on bare and barren pitches. The first innings declaration could be fixed at 150 overs to make sure there’s enough time for a result in the match. If a team lasts 130 overs with enough wickets in hand, then it could be a T20 style rampage towards the end.

2. Ban the toss: This would be ideal to nullify the home advantage and make sporting pitches. In this scenario, the toss would be banned and the visiting team would always decide what they wanted to do in the first innings. The groundsman would be forced to make an absolute sporting pitch because he would know that only the Opposition would get to choose whether to bat or bowl.

Why do greats just hang around?

3. Day-night Tests: For years the ICC has been experimenting with day night first class matches and pink balls and orange balls and the like. Now comes the time to finally take the decision and go ahead and launch them. That will push up TV ratings and fill up the stands. You might also be tempted to go in for a Test match which is getting exciting over a night show.

4. Free Hits and wides: Many times in the past, teams would resort to negative bowling to force a draw. While umpires have cracked down upon such instances by calling wides with greater regularity, it's not enough. The ODI rules should be applied and the umpires should be stricter with wides. Maybe a free hit for no balls too?

5. Standardized Test tours: There are many two Test tours which end in a 1-1 tie and four Test tour where the visitors struggle to be competitive till the last Test.  Maybe all Test tours can be standardized. Like three proper first class matches with top local teams followed by three Tests. Test players will know what to expect and have enough practice before beginning any tough overseas tour.

6. A two-tier league: The lower ranked teams have failed to show a fight for too many years now. The top 6 teams should now be in Tier 1 and the next 4 in Tier 2. The last team of Tier 1 and the topper of Tier 2 can exchange places every 2-3 years, depending on the schedule that is worked out.

7. Points system for a result: The points system was used for the Asian Test championship and in Ranji trophy we also have the concept of first innings lead. While both systems did not prove to be very popular, at least we end up having an undisputed Ranji champion every year. A complicated points system can be introduced in all Tests which have three completed innings. It's just a matter of getting used to.

8. World Test championship: This is another concept to which the ICC pays a lot of lip service, but we are still nowhere near having one. We should have one every two years where the top four teams are invited. In a two month window, you can have three Tests each for the semi-finals and three again for the finals.

Indian stadiums should also be made more spectator-friendly especially like the Australian ones. Whenever attendance is low, school and college student can be given free admission to popularize Tests among youth.

T20s in fact may eat up into the ODI pie while Tests still have a chance to make it into the future thanks to their novelty and unique set of skill sets.

But for that the ICC will have to keep Tests relevant.


The author is a Bengaluru-based journalist and blogger.

He blogs at http://sunilrajguru.com/