From five days to just two: Michael Atherton explains why Test cricket is getting shorter

England’s players unsuccessfully appealed against Pakistan’s Azan Awais’ goal on Friday. (Photo by Reuters/Matthew Childs) Test cricket has long been defined by its five-day nature, but the format is increasingly seeing matches finish well before the scheduled fifth day. Former England captain Michael Atherton believes that this trend is the result of several changes in modern cricket, from the influence of T20 batting to bowler-friendly pitches, the influence of DRS and the emergence of a strong group of fast bowlers.Speaking to Sky Sports during the rain-delayed start to Day 3 of England’s second Test against Pakistan, Atherton broke down why Test matches in the current decade are producing quicker results. His comments came after the recent Australia-Bangladesh Test in Mackay was completed in two days, adding to a list of remarkably short matches.

Influence of T20, DRS and pitches suitable for bowling

Atherton identified several factors behind the change, starting with an increasingly aggressive approach to batting that evolved alongside the growth of T20 cricket.“If I name 4-5 reasons off the top of my head, we’d go for each one: batting is now a higher risk because of T20 cricket. If you take more risks, you have a better chance of getting out. There’s a good crop of fast bowlers around now. DRS has had an impact; umpires are giving LBW more often,” Atherton said.He also pointed out the changes in pitches during the World Test Championship era. According to Atherton, the importance of home advantage at the WTC has encouraged teams to prepare surfaces that offer more help to their own pitchers.“The pitches have become more favorable since the Test World Cup came in; teams generally try to get more home advantage. So whether it’s turning pitches in India or pitches in England, the pitches have become more bowling-friendly since the WTC came in,” he said.

The statistics underline the dramatic shift

Statistics shared by Sky Sports during the England-Pakistan Test underline just how much the length of Test matches has changed.According to Sky Sports figures, only 41.43% of Tests in 2020 lasted all five days. This figure was as high as 77.65% in the 1970s, and in 2010 it was 54.76%.At the other end of the spectrum, tests lasting just two or three days are considerably more common. Sky Sports figures show that 23% of Tests in 2020 ended within two or three days, compared to just 2.79% in the 1970s.Atherton also compared the current trend to his playing era in the 1990s, highlighting the rise of matches ending within three days.“When Nas (Nasser Hussain) and I played in the 1990s, the number of games completed in three days or less was around 7 per cent (6.98 per cent). And now it’s 20 per cent, so that’s a big difference,” he said.The former England captain also pointed to a remarkable statistic from Sky Sports’ graphic on the day’s Test completions.“In the last decade (from 2017 to now) there have been nine instances of Test matches ending in two days, and there was not a single two-day Test between 1946 and 2000. Test matches are going faster,” Atherton said.