India vs Australia: Gautam Gambhir hits out at Tests ending in less than 3 days

Test cricket is known as the real test of a cricketer. The five-day format match tests one's skills, temperament, and acumen. But in the last few years, the traditional five-day Test format has gone through a crisis as Tests are ending in four days or fewer. The recently concluded India-Australia Test matches, played in Nagpur, New Delhi, and Indore, respectively, drew criticism as each of them ended in just three days. 

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir said that the Test matches ending soon is not a good advertisement for cricket.

"I feel, yes, playing on turning tracks is fine, but I won`t appreciate Test matches finishing in 2.5 days. We want to see tight finishes, like the one we saw in the New Zealand vs England Test. (If a Test goes to) 4th or 5th day, it is fine. But 2.5 days is too short," Gambhir told Sports Today.

Pitches in the Nagpur, New Delhi, and Indore tests faced the wrath of critics who said that curators prepared bad pitches that could not sustain for five days.

However, the problem of finishing Test matches in less than four days has emerged in places like Australia and New Zealand, where drop-in pitches are used. These drop-in pitches are prepared outside the stadiums and dropped in ahead of matches. 

However, the quality of pitches isn't solely responsible for Tests ending in fewer than four days. The current crop of cricketers don't have the temperament to stay in the middle of pitches as well as players like Rahul Dravid and Shivnarine Chanderpal did in the 1990s and 2000s.

The young crop is prone to play risky shots, courtesy their experience in T20 cricket. Many of them don't want to play Test cricket at all. The lure of money in T20 leagues also makes them retire early from Tests and join the shortest form of the game. 

However, many of the cricketers in current times defend themselves, saying Test matches ending soon is a good change as it is delivering results.

After Australia defeated India in the Indore Test last week, skipper Rohit Sharma said that due to the shortening of Test matches, the audience is enjoying the cricket as it is seeing the results, unlike in Tests which get drawn after five days.