The first official test match was played at the MCG in 1877. It is a myth that test cricket was always played in the current 5-day format. In the first 50 years of test cricket, the matches were mostly played over 3 days in England while Australia used to host ‘timeless tests’- matches that were played till we got a result. From 1912 onwards, the series decider matchesin England were also converted to timeless tests. In the 1930s, England upgraded the Ashes to 4-day fixtures, a status not given then to matches involving other teams. From 1948 onwards, Ashes tests in England moved to the 5-day format, while other teams started playing 4-day tests from 1950. India started with 4-days tests in the 1930s, after which we played 5-day matches for some time before moving back to 4-day tests for a while. Similarly, the other test playing nations in those days were also alternating between different formats. With test cricket eventually gravitating to the current 5–day format, the last 4-day test match of the 20th century was played as recently as 1973 in New Zealand, when the hosts played Pakistan. In 2017, South Africa hosted a 4-day test match against Zimbabwe; a match that lasted only 2 days; while the Lord’s was the venue to a 4-day fixture between England and Ireland in 2019. Over 2300 test matches have been played till date and 82% of them were 5-day fixtures. The number of matches played per year in modern day cricket is much higher than in the earlier days because we now have 12 test playing nations. So the current 5-day format is the result of an evolutionary process; and evolution is something that will not stop. The 70s saw the advent of limited overs cricket; and today, white ball cricket has changed the face of the game. With the ICC looking seriously into 4-day tests, it could be a reflection of the way the game has evolved. Many stalwarts have spoken out against this idea and there are always two sides to an argument.
The new 4-day format stipulates 98 overs in a day’s play, as against the current 90. So, with a theoretical possibility of 392 overs, we are losing 58 overs from the current 5-day version, which is almost two sessions of play. Follow-on can be enforced with a lead of 150 runs, as against 200. From 1877 to 1999, 60% of 5-day tests gave decisive results, while from this century onwards, this ratio moved to 80%. In this period from 2000, the average length of play in a test match with a clear verdict, is around 320 overs, which is less than 4 full days. In the matches in this time frame that ended in draws, the average length of play was 360 overs, indicating that one day’s play was lost due to weather. Only 4 out of 39 tests played in 2019 weredrawn; all rain-affected. While these numbers are indicative of a faster pace at which cricket is being played these days, they just tell the ‘physics’ behind the shift to 4-day tests, they may not say anything about the ‘chemistry’ – how the players will play differently in a 4-day affair.
To start with, 98 overs a day is gong to stretch the bowling resources more. Batsmen will have more reasons to play positively; there could be more run-a-ball centuries. On the other hand, there is more room for the trailing team to hide behind a draw, giving us some gutsy and defensive innings too. We are denying the spinners their 5th day‘rough’ in the wicket, the sort of rough that makes Nathan a Lyon in his den. We would miss matches like the recent SA vs ENG thriller at Newlands; on the other hand matches that would go into day 4 these dayswith an imminent win round the corner for one of the teams, could go into the last session of a 4-day test with more than one result possible; this is because of a general tendency for matches to end sooner. From the point of view of the administrators, 5-day matches with more unutilized playing time is a big waste of money and other resources. While drawing up the cricketing calendar for the year, 4-day format would free up many days as well. This could be invaluable considering the multi-format international schedules as well as franchise cricket all over the world. There could be better Planned vs Actual performance when it comes to playing days, schedules and certain business aspects.
ODI, T20 and franchise cricket have created a new growth curve for a game that is on the path of globalization. Limited overs cricket has already shifted a lot of limelight away from test cricket. However, for many fans, test cricket is the unadulterated version, making it the real deal and the highest format of the game. For many decades, test cricket meant only the 5-day version and a departure from that might mean the loss of many nuances that make it what it is. Still, when we evaluate whether there is a case for 4-day tests, we should consider the possible upsides and the way the game is being played these days. Change is never comfortable; whether 4-day matches will kill test cricket or whether it will save it, is something we will know only if we try it out.
With more teams playing test cricket, there is a huge gap in standards between the top teams and the others. 4-day tests can be a good way to initiate therelative newcomers; even the other teams can also try out the format by including it as the odd match in a long series, just like the way we look at pink ball tests. Once we have a bigger sample size, we will get a better picture of the impact of 4-day test matches. This is not an advocacy for the abrogation of 5-day tests; it is ratheran argument on how we could try out the shorter version even as we continue with the traditional format. Can we have two formats co-existing? Take a look at men’s tennis; we have best of 3 tournaments round the year and the best of 5 format is now restricted to the Grand Slams only. I love test cricket, it is classic. While T20 and franchise cricket are here to stay, we need to do what it takes to save test cricket. Heritage venues and traditions are integral parts of test cricket; I would like a Boxing Day Ashes fixture at the MCG to be definitely a 5-day encounter. Can you imagine a best of 3 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Finals?
snowboard Skier
1 Aug 2020Believe of it like a PowerPoint, however for the web. With this in mind, Slideshare post help you promote your Slideshare so that it can generate a
consistent stream of visitors. Unlike blog sites, Slideshare decks don’t often rank
well on online search engine, so they require a platform for getting their
message out there to individuals who are trying to find it.
Need some Slideshare ideas? In the example above, we turned our business’s” Culture Code “into a Slideshare discussion that
anybody can check out and take lessons from, and
then promoted it in a post. “Newsjacking” is a nickname for” hijacking” your blog to break crucial news related to
your market. The newsjack example above was published by Houzz, a home design merchant and interior style
resource, about a brand-new mobile app that introduced simply for interior designers.
Houzz didn’t introduce the app, but the news of its launching is
no lesser to Houzz’s audience. The infographic post serves
a similar purpose as the Slideshare post the fourth example,
explained above in that it communicates
details for which plain blog copy might not be the best format.|
helps readers keep in mind the details long after they leave your website.
For this example, you need not look any even more than the post you read today!
How-to guides like this one help fix an issue for your readers.
They’re like a cookbook for your market, walking your audience through
a job action by step to enhance their literacy on the
subject. Guest posts are a type of article that you can utilize to include other voices on your blog site.
For example, if you wish to get an outside professional’s viewpoint on a subject, a visitor post
is perfect for that. Furthermore, these posts provide your blog variety in subject and viewpoint.|In this post, this ultimate, detailed
guide, we’ll share ideas used by professional freelance authors to develop spellbinding
posts that are loved by thousands. You’ll learn the tricks to crafting
tempting headlines, seducing intros, fascinating suggestions,
and motivational closings. You’ll even learn how the pros improve and polish their posts once they’re ended up composing them.|
Let’s dive in. Would like to know among the most significant errors
blog writers make? Writing article before the headlines (aka post titles).
Without a heading, they have no roadmap to follow.
Therefore their post goes in numerous instructions, leaving readers feeling woozy, confused and
disoriented. And after that they try to create a headline that
embraces all that insanity.|
Your heading will be your map, your composing navigation system, letting you understand which literary roads to choose and
which to avoid so that readers reach the desired
destination as quickly and effectively as possible.
Want your article to get opened? Then your headline must promise readers the really address to
whatever is torturing them.|
Your heading ought to not assure them a trip to the moon and
back readers are way too swift for such shenanigans. Keep
the benefit specific and narrow, and readers will
feel forced to click and get the solution to what’s bugging them.
How do you learn what’s pestering your readers? How do you know which of your lots of article ideas should be pursued?
Research study: Review comments on your posts and on posts of other sites in your specific niche.|
Use tools like BuzzSumo to discover out what the most popular
posts in your specific niche are (which gives insight into your target readers’ needs).
Check out the reviews of books in your niche on Amazon (you’ll
discover a gold mine of feedback to explore). You have one
obligation as a blog writer yup, just one.|
The much better you understand them, the much better you serve.
Prior to you understand it, you’ll understand them so thoroughly they’ll seem like you’re reading
their minds, and your headings will reflect that.
Let’s say you’re in the self-improvement space and you composed the heading below: How to Develop a Remarkable
Life This heading is so broad it’s unlikely to draw readers in.
bars in concord nc
30 Apr 2020Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after browsing through
some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it
and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back often!
Vishnu Govind
4 Mar 2020Thanks Prasad. Nice observations from you.
Prasad M
21 Jan 2020“Can you imagine a best of 3 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Finals?”, that told the whole story. Test cricket is all about encounter between bat and ball and I feel that this 4 day format will tilt Test cricket too in favor of batsmen. Author has done a good research into the details of Test cricket. Though irrelevant, I would like to bring to notice the “rest day” which existed in 5 day Test cricket years back.