Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @ravishastriofficial
Former India coach Ravi Shastri on Wednesday advocated for a two-tier structure in Test cricket, incorporating relegation and promotion, to secure the future of the red-ball format.
His remarks came after the fourth Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which attracted a record 373,691 spectators over five days. This broke the previous record of 350,534, set during the 1936-37 Ashes series when Donald Bradman was at the peak of his career, and Tests lasted six days.
Shastri, now working as a commentator, described the match as “a bigger advertisement for Test cricket,” noting that the format continued to thrive despite the growing popularity of T20 franchise cricket.
The 62-year-old also emphasized that Test cricket’s survival depends on frequent matchups between the strongest teams.
“To break crowd records that have stood for nearly a century… is testimony to the fact that when the best teams play, the toughest and best format of the game is still alive and thriving,” he wrote in a column for The Australian.
“It was also a sound reminder to the ICC (International Cricket Council) that the best should play the best for Test cricket to survive.
“I will say that there’s too much of a clutter otherwise.
“This match further emphasises why we need a two-tier system with the top 6-8 teams and then include promotion and demotion. You will not get these kinds of crowds if you don’t have two proper teams playing.”
The ICC has long considered implementing a two-tier system to keep Test cricket competitive. However, previous efforts, including a 2016 proposal for a premier league featuring the top seven teams, were abandoned due to opposition led by the BCCI, which argued it would harm smaller cricketing nations.
Shastri also used the Melbourne Test as evidence to defend the five-day format amid discussions about shortening Tests to four days.
“The theatre in the end on (day five) Monday was further proof of why we need five days for a classic Test match,” he said.
“However, if you don’t create a two-tier system, you’ll continue to have unmatched teams up against each other and then it’s very unlikely they’ll be able to take a game into the fifth day.
“Then there’ll always be talk of four-day Tests.”
Australia won the Melbourne Test by 184 runs on day five, taking a 2-1 lead in the series ahead of the final match in Sydney.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
