Should the length of a day in Test matches be extended?

MS Dhoni

Irrespective of which way the second Test between India and New Zealand goes, one thing is already a foregone conclusion; in all likelihood, MS Dhoni will once again be penalized for slow over-rate at the end of the game. Now, whilst it can be attributed to him on some level, it can’t be all his own fault.

And it is not just MSD. Plenty of captains, all over the world, are getting penalized for slow over-rates, especially in Test matches. Is this a pandemic? If not, why is it happening with such frightening regularity? Is it something that the ICC should look into?

The answer to all the aforementioned questions is the same, and that answer is ‘yes’. Truth be told, bowling 90 overs in six hours is no easy feat. It requires the bowling team to bowl 15 overs per hour, giving each bowler just 4 minutes to complete his over. While usually this is enough, what happens when a wicket falls? From where is the time for the drinks break being taken? If the batsman has some problem with the side screen, from where does the time to correct it come? In case the ball is lost or becomes worn out, who accounts for that?

There is no time for any of this under the current constraints. Whilst bowling 90 overs in six hours is a tough task in itself, doing so with all of the said restrictions is nothing short of impossible. And that is precisely why so many captains fall short of the over-rate and get fined.

For instance, take the ongoing New Zealand v India Test. On day 3 of the Test match, Ravindra Jadeja bowled 26 overs. Now, whether he should have bowled that many or not is a debate for another day; let us just take the facts for now. Jadeja is renowned for getting through his overs very quickly. In fact he takes less than two minutes to finish an over, sometimes even less. For argument’s sake, let us say he finished each over in two minutes, which means he bowled 26 overs in just 52 minutes, a staggering statistic in itself. Taking that factor into consideration and that there were just four wickets all day, India still had to take an extra half-hour to complete their quota of 90 overs.

Now, who is to blame for that? Not MS Dhoni, certainly not Jadeja, as there was nothing more he could have done. Nor can you blame the New Zealand batsman for taking their time because they had to battle it out in order to salvage the match. So, then, who do you blame? The only person who can be blamed is the ICC. For the want of risking the ire of the authorities, let me explain myself.

Ravindra Jadeja normally completes an over in two minutes

The simple truth is that, unless you play in the subcontinent or in a place that is conducive to spin, where the spinners bowl more than 50% of the overs, there is no way 90 overs can be completed in the current scenario. The current time constraint doesn’t factor a lot of things into consideration. Whilst it is theoretically possible for a bowling side to bowl 90 overs in a day, it just isn’t practically possible all the time.

So, what can be done? The answer is very simple: extend the number of hours in a day. One of the reasons stated for the six-hour limit was that people can’t spend too long in the stadium. But, since they are anyways staying for six and a half hours due to the delays, pretty much every day, why can’t the ICC just make it six and a half hours a day.

Another thing that can be done is to shorten drinks breaks. Instead of having a four minute break, you can have a two or three minute break. You can even ask the next batsman to sit outside or, for that matter, be ready to walk in before the outgoing batsman leaves the pitch, like in T20s. I am pretty sure that a better scenario can be worked out.

So, what is stopping them from doing it? Nothing, if you ask me. The sooner the days are lengthened, the better it is for all those concerned. Not just the bowling side, but the batting side as well. After all, no batsman in the world would want to stay for an extra half hour, after struggling against all odds, just because the bowling side couldn’t complete their overs.

If the ICC does extend the playing hours, MS Dhoni would be able to spend his well-earned match fee in buying a brand-new bike, instead of paying the penalties for slow over-rate. I am pretty sure, most captains would welcome this with open arms.