Mackay, August 23: Former Australian opener Justin Langer has voiced his concerns over the increasing number of Test matches that conclude in a short span.
Following Australia’s innings victory over Bangladesh on Sunday, he labeled two-day matches as ‘unacceptable.’
Australia defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs in the , with Mitchell Starc delivering an outstanding performance, claiming a total of 10 wickets across both innings-6 in the first and 4 in the second.
This victory allowed the top-ranked team in the world to level the two-match series 1-1. However, the rapid conclusion of the match marked the third instance in Australia’s last seven Tests where a game ended within two days. Langer stated on ‘SEN Radio,’ “Two-day Test matches are unacceptable. For many reasons, this is not good for the game. Last year was disappointing for fans and children who watch their heroes on TV, listen on the radio, or attend matches.”
Highlighting the broader implications of such quick finishes on the sport’s ecosystem, Langer, who has played 105 Tests for Australia, remarked, “Economically, this is a disaster for Cricket Australia, which invests money at the grassroots level. We are now talking about professionals who earn well, and it’s tiring to hear that ‘Oh, it’s just the pitch, oh, it’s the curator, the ball moves a bit.'”
Bangladesh was bowled out for 95 in their second innings, a slight improvement of just 31 runs from their first innings. Instead of blaming pitch conditions, Langer attributed the trend of teams getting out quickly to a decline in basic batting techniques.
“I believe this has a lot to do with fundamental batting techniques. Just look at this Test match. Almost every time a batsman got out, their front foot did not go beyond the front line. It’s a matter of basic technique and footwork patterns. I now coach , and I just returned from England. There are some batsmen in our ‘Hundred’ team who also want to become Test players. When you share some fundamental aspects of the game with them, their eyes light up as if you are teaching them magic for the first time.”