Test Cricket Championship 2013 May be Decided by Timeless Test

Amongst the many interesting issues propping up about Test cricket on the eve of the 2000th Test and the 100th Test between India and England is the possible ways to force a winner in the proposed Test cricket championship slated for 2013.

Rahul Dravid

The ICC is certainly in a quandary. On the one hand, they have the huge responsibility to revive Test cricket not only the old and new Mecca of cricket but also, around the world in Test playing countries where Test cricket fails to attract the appropriate amount of crowds to justify its presence. While the ICC is enthusiastic about celebrating the double milestone at Lord’s, there are also concerned to ensure that the Test cricket only evolves into a much more anticipated cricket prospect going into the future.

The Future Tours Programme (FTP) post 2012 has also called for a Test cricket championship which will crown a Test champion every four years with the top four Test teams go into a semi final-final format to decide the eventual Test champion. However, with Test cricket, there is always the possibility that the result may not always be possible with draw being a distinct possibility.

Over the years, the draws have reduced in favour of result oriented matches, the shorter formats of the game accelerating the pace and therefore, progress of modern day Test cricket. However, the possibility of the draw is far from extinction which basically means that the ICC could be dealing with a situation when the Test cricket championship final may end up with both teams drawing the match.

With that eventuality leaving two Test teams in a deadlock to crown a single Test champion, the ICC is having to make more changes to their proposal in that they have to devise a way to ensure that despite the match resulting in a draw, a winner can be crowned on the basis of certain criteria. This could involve runs scored although perhaps that would hint at a bias towards the batsmen.

One of the solutions the ICC is said to be contemplating is having a classic timeless Test. In the format of the timeless Test, this will not be a five day match but rather one that will be played out until a result is arrived at. It would be interesting because rather than worry that the match may go beyond the usual designation of five days ( unless the pitch happens to be a batsman’s paradise, which is not as uncommon as one would like ), there is every possibility that the match may not last the distance of five days, given the pace at which the game has accelerated including the run rate for Test matches these days, which could also go against the ICC’s agenda because the idea would be to promote Test cricket at its finest and a match ending within three or four days would not be the best advertisement either.

The idea of the timeless Test though is rather fascinating because it is a concept borrowed from the past and also, that it is being contemplated upon as part of reviving interest in the oldest, most traditional format of the game. Unless the ICC has a better solution, the idea of the timeless Test will be envisioned at least theoretically. Not a few cricketers must be raring to have a go.