Vaughan Sticks to His Position: Embracing Four-Day Test Matches for the Future
Click to start listening
New Delhi, Jan 6 (NationPress) Former England captain Michael Vaughan firmly stated that he will not alter his viewpoint regarding four-day Test matches, asserting that this shift is crucial for the future development of the longer format of the game and emphasizing the necessity to adapt to modern times.
"I won’t change my tune. We’ve got to move with the times. Five-day Test match cricket, love it. Loved the MCG (Test). It would just happen a little bit quicker and the dramatic fifth day would become the dramatic fourth day.
"The great game, which is Test match cricket, must endure, not just for our current generation but for the next 50, 60, 70, or even 80 years. I truly believe it’s now a four-day product, so I’m not changing my tune,” Vaughan expressed during an interview on SEN Radio on Monday.
Reinforcing his strong belief in four-day Tests, Vaughan noted how the recent Sydney Test between India and Australia concluded in just three days. "I don’t think it was a great pitch. I looked at the batters batting and felt sorry for them because it was just doing too much.
"In terms of the number of overs bowled in the series, it’s the third lowest in the history of a five-match series. We’ve just witnessed a series where the game is progressing at a faster pace.
"If we revert to flat pitches and teams score 500 (runs), then yes, five days of cricket is necessary. But if we continue to play on pitches like this, where the ball behaves more unpredictably than before, then we certainly won’t need five days,” he elaborated.
He also shared that despite the recent Sydney Test not lasting five days, the spectators in attendance had a great experience, as Pat Cummins’ team triumphed by six wickets, securing the series 3-1.
"I think if you ask any supporter who attended over the last three days if they were disappointed it ended so quickly, every single fan who entered the gates (and it was a sell-out for three days) would say they were thoroughly entertained. It was an incredible Test match. As an engaging product (and that’s what Test cricket needs to be), it was brilliant. Absolutely fantastic," he concluded.
