Virender Sehwag opposes idea of four-day Test

Former India batsman Virender Sehwag opposed the idea of four-day Test saying that the longest format of the game should not be shortened.

"I have always welcomed changes be it T20 or T10. Five-day Test cricket is romance, bowler tries to get the batsman out and batsman strategies and build the innings... Innovation should be there in Test cricket like names on jerseys but a diaper and five-day cricket should only be changed when it gets spoiled. I do not think it has got spoiled yet," Sehwag said.

"The five-day Test should not be shortened. If we talk about Test cricket in the last 10-15 years, there have been very few draw matches. In the last five years, only 31 matches ended in a draw out of 223 matches," he added.

Sehwag said this while delivering the 7th MAK Pataudi Lecture on Sunday. The former destructive batsman backed the pink ball day-night Test saying that it is the way forward.

"So what is needed is just to get the crowd by making them interested in the five-day cricket," he said.

"The pink ball day-night Test cricket is very exciting and is the way forward. Credit to Dada (Sourav Ganguly) for making it happen and it showed that if there are day-night Tests, the crowd may come to watch Test cricket," Sehwag added.

During the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Annual Awards, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah won two awards -- Dilip Sardesai Award for taking the highest wickets in the Test cricket 2018-19 and the Polly Umrigar award for the best international cricketer.