History in the making: Four-day cricket Test taking shape

Dubai: A rare format, a rare contest — as Zimbabwe play England for the first time in two decades, it’s the match length that might say more about the future than the past.

For England, it may be little more than a warm-up. For Zimbabwe, it means everything. But when the two sides meet at Trent Bridge on Thursday, the biggest talking point may not be who wins — it’s how long the match lasts.

This will be a four-day Test match, the first of its kind on English soil in over half a century, and only the second such fixture in Zimbabwe’s history. While the two nations haven’t met in a Test since 2003, and not at all in any format since the 2007 T20 World Cup, the real history here isn’t just Zimbabwe’s return.

It’s the format itself — a potential glimpse into cricket’s evolving future. With member nations given the opportunity to choose the format, the trend has been gaining momentum — especially in match-ups between unequal rivals.

Test cricket, the game’s most revered format, has traditionally stretched over five days. But four-day matches are not new. In fact, they harken back to cricket’s varied past — from three-day Tests to six-day marathons and even the infamous ‘Timeless Tests’. Before 1979, when five-day matches became the standard, the format was far from fixed.

Now, amid shifting audience habits, broadcast constraints, and tighter international calendars, the shorter Test is being quietly trialled again. The ICC tested the waters with South Africa vs Zimbabwe in 2017, a game that ended inside two days. Since then, the idea has remained on the fringes — until now.

With this week’s Test in Nottingham, the discussion returns in earnest. The format allows for 90 overs per day — slightly more than in a five-day match — but the teams still play two innings each. The idea is that shorter Tests could reduce costs, ease scheduling, and cater to a modern audience, without compromising the essence of red-ball cricket.

And in 2024, the numbers offer some support. Of the 52 Tests played last year, 49 produced results. Two were heavily rain-affected. Only one was drawn. The average Test lasted just 268 overs — the equivalent of three full days — suggesting five days may no longer be a necessity.

England, currently ranked No 2 in the world, are using this Test as preparation for a packed summer — five Tests against India, followed by an Ashes tour. For coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, it’s another step in their aggressive, high-tempo “Bazball” journey. In fact, most Tests under their regime haven’t reached Day Five anyway.

Sam Cook is set to make his Test debut, Josh Tongue returns after two years, and Shoaib Bashir shoulders the spin burden. Ben Stokes, too, is back after a hamstring injury, regaining the captaincy just in time to push England’s plans forward.

For Zimbabwe, however, this Test is a symbolic milestone. It marks another chapter in their long road back to relevance after years of political interference, poor governance and ICC exile. Between 2005 and 2011, they didn’t play a single Test. Between 2022 and 2024, they managed just four. But now, they’re on a 10-Test cycle between December and August, with series against South Africa and New Zealand still to come.

They’re not yet part of the World Test Championship, but they are part of the conversation again — and matches like these help. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has paid a touring fee to Zimbabwe Cricket, with ECB chief executive Richard Gould calling it a “huge responsibility” to keep bilateral cricket alive.

Zimbabwe may not pose a serious threat to England, especially after a 138-run loss to a County Select XI last week. But they did beat Bangladesh in a Test earlier this year — their first win since 2021 — and will be desperate to prove they belong at this level.

For cricket’s oldest format, this match is something of a paradox: deeply historic, yet oddly futuristic. Zimbabwe are back in England, playing their first Test on English soil since Jimmy Anderson made his debut in 2003 — and doing it in a format that may yet reshape the way Test cricket is played in years to come.

Four-day Tests may not yet be the new normal. But at Trent Bridge this week, they’ll take centre stage — offering a rare meeting between two nations, and a rare format that just might have a future.