Saving Test Cricket

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Test match cricket is cricket in it’s pristine form, but most cricket fans would agree that it is for a particular niche of followers only. However, unfortunately, even this niche is losing interest in test cricket today. This is primarily because a reasonable number of test matches still end up in a draws and that test matches often produce certain periods of play that are extremely dull.  As such, certain steps should be taken in order to address these factors.
Firstly, the criteria used in one dayers for declaring a ball ‘wide’ should be adopted in test matches also. Why should a bowler in a test match be allowed to ball a line that is beyond the batsman’s reach? Making this criterion strict will cause the bowlers to bowl closer to the batsmen more often, thereby making the batsman to play at the ball more often.
Secondly, there should be 2 fielders in catching position at all times in a test innings and there shouldn’t be more than 3 fielders allowed outside the 15 yard circle. When a batsman becomes well set, the captains usually spread the field out. Then batsmen simply knock the ball around for singles producing one of the most boring parts of test match cricket. Fielding restrictions to counter this, will not only result in more boundaries but it will also result in attacking bowling with fielders constantly in catching positions.
Thirdly, the new ball should be made available to the bowling side after 40 overs. Time and again, we see that the bowlers become ineffective after around the 50 over mark and the batsmen start dominating. Having the second new ball available so early in the innings will give the fielding captain the option to stick with the old ball if it suits him. Alternatively, he could simply take the new ball and hand it over to his fast bowlers to get some movement off the seam and make batting challenging. Mind you, the new ball travels faster off the bat also, so it will not just tilt the balance in the bowlers’ favor totally; it will simply produce more action.
Lastly, as absurd as it may sound, there should be some way or the other of regulating pitch preparation. For this purpose, guidelines should be enforced that are weather and test center specific with the objective of avoiding flat pitches which lead to draws. Pitches are too critical a component of a test match to be left to the host country’s board to take care of.
Cricket in general has evolved; test cricket should too. It has no other choice.

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