Mark Taylor, the former captain of the Australian cricket team, has proposed a bold strategy to rescue Test cricket from its current decline. Taylor argues that by shortening Test matches to four days, captains can take more risks and inject more excitement into the game.
The recent Test series between India and Australia has been marked by controversy over the quality of the pitches, with all three matches wrapping up in just over two days. While India emerged victorious in the first two Tests, Australia managed to turn the tables in the third and clinch a similar swift victory.
In an interview with Wide World of Sports, Mark Taylor stated that test cricket needs to modernize and adapt to the times. He proposes that teams play four-day Test matches, followed by three days off, to ensure players have enough rest time. The former Australian captain suggests playing Test matches from Thursday to Sunday or Friday to Monday, with a three-day break before the next match. This format would encourage captains to be more daring and take risks, making the game more thrilling for fans.
In contrast to high-scoring Test matches that often result in tedious draws, the New South Wales opener believes that more thrilling games occur when sides make around 350 runs in each inning. He suggests that if a pitch is too flat and likely to produce a high-scoring game, teams should declare earlier to avoid a dull draw.
The England cricket team has been actively seeking result-oriented games under the leadership of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum. In their series against Pakistan last year, they successfully secured victories in all three Tests, marking a comprehensive win.
Mark Taylor Criticizes the Pitch in Indore as “Very Poor”
Former Australian captain Mark Taylor agrees with the ICC’s poor rating of the pitch used in the India-Australia Test match in Indore. Taylor described the pitch as “very poor” and stated that while slow, turning pitches are expected in India, and the ball should not be going through the surface on day one. The Indore pitch received three demerit points in addition to a poor rating.
