ICC Ready for 4-Day Tests: The International Cricket Council plans to allow four-day Test matches for smaller nations in the 2027-29 World Test Championship cycle, starting in 2027, while India, Australia, and England will maintain traditional five-day Test matches for major series like the Ashes and Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The ICC supports this change to enable smaller teams to play more Test matches.
This move was discussed during the 2025 World Test Championship Final and aims to make Test cricket more feasible for countries with tight schedules and budgets.
ICC Ready for 4-Day Tests
India, Australia, and England, known as the big three, will continue the five-day Test format for their major series, including the Ashes, Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
These series attract large crowds and significant revenue, so they remain unchanged.
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy begins with India vs. England on June 20, 2025.
This exception ensures exciting returns, while smaller nations adopt the new four-day format for Test cricket.
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Helping Smaller Cricket Nations
Smaller teams often skip Tests because of high costs and long schedules.
Four-day Tests will let them play a three-match series in under three weeks, compared to longer five-day series.
To make up for less time, four-day Tests will have 98 overs per day instead of 90. The ICC first tried four-day Tests in 2017, with England playing Zimbabwe and Ireland.
This change could mean more matches for teams like South Africa, who have a thin Test schedule despite winning the 2025 WTC.
How the WTC 2025-27 Stays Traditional
The current 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle begins with Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh on June 17, 2025, with five-day Test matches for all teams.
Of the 27 series planned, 17 are two-match series, 6 are three-match series, and only India, Australia, and England play five-match series.
This mix reflects the ICC’s balance between tradition and innovation.
What’s Next for Test Cricket?
The 2027-29 World Test Championship will be a significant step to sustain Test cricket with the four-day format.
Smaller nations will play more games, while India, Australia, and England continue classic five-day matches.
With the support of Jay Shah, this is gaining traction. The decision may be finalized at the ICC meeting in July 2025 in Singapore.
