Both England and India’s captains feel that the short gap between two Tests in a five-match series is insufficient.
Test cricket demands long hours on the field, taking a heavy toll on players physically. When the series stretches to five matches, the strain only increases. England’s Ben Stokes and India’s Shubman Gill have both spoken out about the brief breaks between matches in such a long series.
The ongoing England-India five-Test series has an irregular schedule, with rest periods varying between seven to nine days in some gaps and just three days in others.
Stokes was not pleased with this arrangement. According to him, there should be continuity even within the breaks. Gill also expressed that three days’ rest between matches is simply not enough in such a lengthy series.
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy’s Headingley Test ended on the fifth day, after which players had a seven-day break before the next match. However, the gap between the second Test at Edgbaston and the third at Lord’s was reduced to just three days.
After the third Test, players enjoyed a nine-day break, but only three days of rest came before the fifth and final Test. Stokes, sidelined from the Oval Test starting Thursday due to a hand injury, voiced his frustration over this inconsistent scheduling.
“Looking back at the five-match series, you might wonder if the gap between matches could have been better. There were two breaks of eight to nine days, and two breaks of three days. Ideally, the gap should be about five days between matches to maintain continuity.”
“It’s tough for both teams. Bowlers have to bowl many overs and spend a lot of time on the field — that’s part of the game. But maybe it’s worth considering whether we need those eight to nine-day breaks and then three-day breaks. Could it be four or five days between each match instead?”
The first four matches of the series have all gone down to the final day, resulting in long hours on the field and natural fatigue among the players. Gill said three days is far too little time to recover and refresh before the next Test.
“The biggest thing about this series is that every match has gone the full five days, and not just that — all have gone to the last session on the final day. I can’t recall another series where four matches have gone right to the wire. So yes, it’s definitely tough to play with such short breaks.”
“Three days is very little time to get fresh again when two teams are playing such competitive cricket. We also understand that if there were five or six days off between matches, the tour would become much longer. So, I guess that decision lies with the boards.”
After four Tests in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, England leads the series 2-1.
