Daniel says Yes

The debate about whether or not to reintroduce ‘timeless’ test matches is a tough one.

On one hand, test cricket is the purest format of the game that I love and I agree that a draw can be just as or if not more exciting than having a winner or a loser.

Limiting the number of days and overs adds an extra dynamic to the game, it becomes a battle of wits just as much as it is a battle of bat and ball and for that reason alone I would opt to keep Test cricket to 5 days.

Having said that, my biggest concern is seeing Test cricket taking a backseat to the likes of the Indian Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Big Bash League and any of the other ‘hit and giggle’ type of T20 cricket tournaments.

I believe that the old saying of ‘adapt or die’ really applies in this context and we have already seen measures being implemented to modernize the longest format of the game.

Measures such as day/night cricket with a bright pink ball as well as the introduction of the ICC Test championship to give each game some much-needed meaning that all had a positive impact on the game.

I believe one Timeless Test in a five-match series or perhaps in a series decider has the potential to bring some eyes and ears back to the longest format of the game.

The more people that are talking about and watching Test cricket the better.

Alasdair says No

No, there should never ever be a timeless Test match in a decider or even the final of the ICC Test Championship.

In the first part of the 20th century, there were 99 timeless Tests played. Up until the Second World War, Australia played all their home Tests as timeless affairs.

Just before the outbreak of World War 2, there was a notable timeless Test in Durban between South Africa and England, which lasted 12 days –the longest ever.

The match was drawn as England needed to catch their ship home. In the modern era, television and sponsorship dictate schedules. Broadcasting replaced that ship, which the 1939 England team had to catch.

But logically it makes no sense. You’ll never get a timeless Test to go past the fifth day in India, Sri Lanka, Australia or even the Wanderers. If you want a result to play the final at those grounds.

But what a timeless Test really takes away from the romance of Test match cricket is the thrill of a draw.

Some may say a draw is what discourages new fans, who like a moth to flame flock to instant gratification like T20 cricket.

Sometimes a draw is better than a victory. The art of being faced with a defeat and fighting back against all odds is more rewarding.

Think back to Faf du Plessis maiden Test century on debut against the Aussies and the magnitude of that draw. Would that have happened in a timeless Test? No.