After Mumbai failed to make it to the Ranji Trophy knockouts, skipper Ajinkya Rahane suggested that the format of the domestic first class matches could be altered from four to five-day games. According to Rahane this could lead to outright results. Currently, only the knockouts are played over five days.
“First Class cricket can become five-day cricket. We play Test matches over five days and in five days the possibility of a result is almost guaranteed. You will get more results. Every game should be result-oriented,” Rahane was quoted as saying by Sportstar.
“In four-day games, you don’t really get results on flat decks. We tried to get as many results as possible but it became challenging. In five-day cricket, that will happen more frequently. I don’t know how it can fit into the calendar but five-day cricket will make domestic cricketers get used to the rigours of First Class cricket,” he said.
“If you play out a session, you can save a match in four-day games but if you are made to slog for three more sessions, it will give them a better opportunity to develop better Test cricketers. It can automatically be carried forward into international cricket. How to survive sessions, how to bowl disciplined, all these factors can be taken care of if we play all Ranji Trophy games over five days,” he added.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra captain Ankit Bawne also had a proposal and said that there needs to be a tweak in the bonus point rule as well.
As per the rules, teams earn three points in case of a first-innings lead, while an outright victory fetches the team six points. There are also bonus points if a team wins by either an innings or by 10 wickets.
“I think the BCCI has to look at the point system. If a bonus point is so crucial, then people will start making pitches where the games will get over in two days. I think if there is a tie in the points, then we should look at head-to-head,” Bawne said before adding, “Whoever has won, should proceed. It is my view about it.”
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