Sports Wrap Up This Week: ICC Considers 4-day Tests, Sindhu’s Mission 2020

ICC Considers 4-day Tests
International Cricket Council
ICC Considers 4-day Tests
International Cricket Council

The new year may see another upheaval in Test cricket. The traditional form of cricket has seen lots of changes in the last three decades. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) has been endeavouring to bring innovation in the longest format of the game to woo cricket fans to keep their interest intact in the five- day game.

Plan of 4-day Test match

The ICC has been considering to curtail the length of Test matches by one day, from five to four-day. The purpose behind this is to free the hectic calendar and tight schedule of all teams. Players will also get some respite. These days most players have packed schedule and participate in different leagues all year round, so they do not get proper relaxation.

Mix reactions from players

The ICC’s proposal to chop a day has got mixed reactions. The recommendation of 4-day Tests has got the nod from the former captain of England and Australia Michael Vaughan and Mark Taylor. Australian captain Tim Paine stressed on the five-day Tests. He believes 4-day Tests mean lots of matches will be ended in a tame draw. However, active cricketer will have to change the mindset and put extra energy in their game to get the result in four days.

Ganguly denies commenting

Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president, has said that it is too early to make any comment on the new proposal. On the other hand, Australian spinner Nathan Lyon is against the change. Lyon said some of the best Test matches in the last decade have gone into the 5th day and that 4-day Tests will see a lot more draws.

98-over in a day in 4-day Test

At present, in five-day Test matches, 90 overs are bowled in a day while in a four-day Tests consideration of 98 overs in a day is going on. As the recent records make it clear that more than 60 per cent Tests ended inside four days since 2018. Therefore, ICC is seriously thinking to make 4-day Tests mandatory to provide players with a chance to participate in their other limited-over assignments and different leagues.

Technology wipes bad decisions

The introduction of the third umpire, modern technologies, referral system, and so on has changed the Test cricket, but its basic structure is the same. Controversial decisions in cricket are almost over. Seeing the success of technology in cricket, the governing body of tennis, football and other games has also decided to introduce technologies in the respective games to maintain discipline and overcome the debatable and bias decisions. Therefore, the margin of error has almost ended in sports.

Good move for players and crowd

Players might have to stretch extra yard in four-day Tests to get the desired results. The tempo of white clothes cricket has drastically changed. The four-day idea of Tests is looking positive from all perspectives, especially for the players as well as the crowd.

Besides cricketers, Indian sportspersons are gearing up for the most significant sporting events of the world, Tokyo Olympics 2020. The blue-eyed shuttler PV Sindhu and others are hoping that the new year will fulfil their long-cherished dream.

Sindhu’s mission 2020

PV Sindhu’s Mission 2020
Indian Badminton Player, PV Sindhu

With the fall of 2019 and the coming of 2020, people think that the new year will be better and a changer of their fortune. The poster girl of Indian badminton PV Sindhu has set her goal in the new year. She is the top medal prospect for India in the Tokyo Olympics. Therefore, Olympic gold is the first and most crucial target hovering in the mind of Sindhu.

Quest for gold

She was crowned world badminton champion in 2019 is now focussing on changing the colour of her medal in Olympics from silver to yellow metal. Sindhu bagged the silver medal in 2016 at Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Despite seeing lots of up-and-down in her career, she is capable of earning for the country the gold medal around her neck.

Sportspersons from India are hoping to perform better in 2020. Of late, Union and state governments have provided an excellent infrastructure for the budding sportspersons to get proper training and support. Its positive results are coming, but India is still far behind in the sporting arena compared to other developed nations. Hopefully, in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Indian athletes will bring a bagful of medals.