"Why can’t we just play until we bowl the overs?"- Joe Root thinks Test cricket can be played till 10pm in England
Joe Root feels that Test cricket can be played until 10 pm during the English summer to make up for the lost overs in a match. The former England captain pointed out that it does not get dark until 10 pm in the UK during summer, but the day's play ends in Test matches at 6:30 pm only.
In the ongoing Manchester Test match between Australia and England, a total of 26 overs were lost on the first three days due to slow over rate. Twenty-six overs means almost a session of play was lost. Besides, rain breaks have negatively impacted the overs bowled as well.
Since England will not be able to regain the Ashes urn if the Manchester Test ends in a draw, Joe Root said on BBC's Test Match Special earlier today:
"It doesn’t get dark here in England until 10pm in the summer, why can’t we just play until we bowl the overs?"
"Why can't we just play until we bowl the overs?"
Even before the rain, 26 overs of play were lost across the first three days at Old Trafford. Should more be done to get every ball in?
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"We batted in worse conditions at Edgbaston, but that is cricket"- Joe Root wants administrators to find ways to complete overs in Test cricket
Joe Root further suggested that the focus of the organizers should be to get the target number of overs completed on a day instead of deciding to call stumps based on the time alone.
“There’s been a lot of chat about not bowling the overs. There are so many different ways of trying to find opportunities to get as much play in as possible. At every opportunity at every stage you should be looking to find ways to get the Test on. We batted in worse conditions at Edgbaston, but that is cricket. You just want consistency in those conditions," Joe Root concluded.
England had a great chance of winning the fourth Ashes Test match in Manchester. Australia trailed by 61 runs at the end of Day 4, with five wickets in hand in the second innings.
Rain has not allowed any action on Day 5 so far. If today's play is abandoned, Australia will be happier than England.