Cricket Test Match Format: Why Do They Play for 5 Days?!

May 09, 2025 10 minutes Posted by - vegas11

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Test Cricket isn’t your average chill Sunday gully match, boss. It’s the OG format—been around since the 19th century, and still slaying in the 21st!

We're talking brainpower, biceps, and big-time strategy. This ain’t no T20 express ride—this one’s a slow burn thriller.

Let’s break it down for you, everything from match format, rules, innings structure, to how the points system and schedule work. Strap in—this is elite cricket, not your 3-hour T20 shortcut🏏.

30-Second Guide to Test Match Format

A Test Match lasts up to five whole days, yaar. Each match has a max of 4 innings. Daily game time 7 to 7.5 hours, including lunch (40 mins) and tea breaks (20 mins). Well, I guess the British influence is still sipping strong.

Match timings depend on the country:

India: 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM
UK & Australia: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Day-Night Matches: 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM

INDIA Test Match Daily Schedule (Time Table)

India Test Match Daily Schedule: Time Ka Full Breakdown

9:30 AM – 11:30 AM: First Session (2 hours) – includes a quick 5-min water break around 10:30 AM.
11:30 AM – 12:10 PM: Lunch Break (40 mins).
12:10 PM – 2:10 PM: Second Session (2 hours) – another 5-min to stay hydrated at 1:10 PM.
2:10 PM – 2:30 PM: Afternoon Tea Break (20 mins).
2:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Third Session (2 hours) – with a water break at 3:30 PM, and if the match’s getting hot, they may stretch it till 5:00 PM.

Why Every Session in a Test Match Hits Different

Morning Session: The pitch is still soaking in that early morning dew—perfect setup for bowlers to slay. Especially pace and medium pacers, bro.
Afternoon Session: The pitch condition is more stable than my mental health NGL. Pitch is smooth like butter, ideal for batter to flex.
Evening Session: Light starts fading, the pitch gets rougher, sounds bad right? Well, this is a perfect timing for spin bowler to cook.

5 day test match rules

Two teams, 11 players each, take turns batting and bowling. Each team gets two innings—that means two chances to show off their skills. Across the five days, there can be up to four innings total.

The batting squad’s job is to pile up runs before 10 players get packed off, while the bowlers aim to knock down 10 wickets—doing this across at least 90 overs (aka 540 balls) each day. Each day is crazy I could never.

To win you gotta take down the other side twice (aka 20 wickets in total) within five days, and make sure your final score is higher. If you can’t finish in time? It’s a draw, bro.

Can a Test Match End in a Draw?

Yes, Test matches can end in either a Draw or a Tie, but don’t get confused—they’re not the same thing, boss.

Draw: If the match reaches the end of Day 5 and the team batting last still has wickets left (meaning not all 10 players are out), and they haven’t chased down the target, then it’s declared a draw.

Same goes if rain or bad light interrupts the match and it can't be completed. Game ends with no winner. Very common in Test cricket—way more than in ODIs or T20s.
Tie: This one’s super rare. A Tie happens only if both teams end up with exactly the same total score and the side batting last is all out—10 wickets gone. I can't even imagine how intense this drama will be like.

In Test cricket, Draws happen way more often than in ODIs or T20s.

What Happens If 90 Overs Aren’t Bowled in a Day?

Oh, there’s definitely punishment, boss. If a team fails to bowl the required 90 overs in a single day—usually ‘coz they were bowling at snail’s pace—the umpires can immediately penalise them.

The other team will be gifted 5 runs. Free runs, ugh yes please!

Test Match Over Rate Penalties

ICC says every team must complete at least 15 overs per hour. If you fall behind schedule and don’t bowl all 90 overs? That’s called “Slow Over Rate”. This will cause, fines, loss of championship points, or even see their captain banned for a match.

Test Match New Ball

After 80 overs in an innings, the bowling team can request a brand-new ball.

Test Match Follow-on

If Team B (second batting team), scores 200+ runs less than Team A in their first innings, then Team A can straight-up say: “Boss, no need for us to bat now—you go again.”

This is called enforcing the follow-on, and it means Team B bats back-to-back innings. This can fast-track the match and go for a win before time runs out.

Sounds kinda unfair right, I was thinking the same as well. Well the thing is, if Team B makes a huge comeback in their second innings and their combined score (first + second innings) beats Team A’s first innings score, then Team A will need to bat again and chase.

The match will only end early when the weather is bad or the match did not end in time.

Test Match Bowling Limitations

Unlike T20 or ODIs where bowlers have strict over limits, in Test cricket, There’s NO cap on how many overs a bowler can bowl in an innings.But, they can’t bowl two overs back-to-back.

It’s all up to the captain to manage rotations smartly and keep the bowlers fresh.

Test Match DRS Rules

In Test cricket, each team gets 2 reviews per innings (international matches) or 3 reviews in domestic games using the DRS (Decision Review System).

But here’s the catch—if your review is successful, it doesn’t count against your limit. You keep that chance like a bonus life in a video game.

Reviews reset every innings. Even if you burn through all your reviews in the 1st innings, don't take tension—you get a fresh set in the next.

Test Match Timed Out

In a Test match, the next batter must reach the crease within 3 minutes after the previous player is out (in ODIs and T20s it’s just 2 minutes).
If you missed it.Dude, byeeeee given out without facing a single ball.

Imagine getting out without even swinging the bat. Total Himalayan blunder, isn’t it?

What’s a Nightwatchman?

This one’s a classic Test match move. When the day’s almost done and a key batter just got dismissed, the team throws in a nightwatchman—usually a tail-ender or a bowler—not to score, but just to block and survive those final tricky overs.

Why do this? Because late evening conditions are super tricky—bad light, tired players, pressure at max. Sending a main batter at that time. Boss, I'm not a professional player, Even I won't do that either.

So instead, let the nightwatchman take the heat, and send the star batter fresh in the morning when conditions are better.

It’s basically: "Bro, just stall for now—we’ll send the big guns tomorrow." Total jugaad, but super effective.

What is the highest score in a Test match india?

India’s highest-ever Test score is a jaw-dropping 759/7, made against England in Chennai, 2016.

Karun Nair pulled off a legendary 303
KL Rahul smashed a solid 199

Together, they helped India win the match by an innings and 75 runs. Gotta be proud of that, mad respect.

What is the difference between Test Match, T20, and ODI?

Test Match: Played over 5 days, each team bats twice (2 innings), and there’s no over limit per innings. It's all about endurance, strategy, and mental grind.
ODI (One Day International): Wrapped up in 1 day, each team plays 1 innings of 50 overs.
T20 (Twenty20): The fastest format, lasting just 3 to 4 hours. Each team gets 1 innings of 20 overs.

Test Match Schedule – WTC 2025

11 June, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿ICC World Test Championship Final, 2025 - Final
📍Lord's Cricket Ground, London
🏏South Africa vs Australia
⏰Match starts at 17:30

20 June, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿India tour of England, 2025 - 1st Test
📍Headingley, Leeds
🏏England vs India
⏰Match starts at 18:00

25 June, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Australia Tour of West Indies, 2025 - 1st Test
📍Kensington Oval, Bridgetown
🏏West Indies vs Australia
⏰Match starts at 22:00

02 July, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿India tour of England, 2025 - 2nd Test
📍Edgbaston, Birmingham
🏏England vs India
⏰Match starts at 18:00

03 July, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Australia Tour of West Indies, 2025 - 2nd Test
📍National Cricket Stadium, St George's
🏏West Indies vs Australia
⏰Match starts at 22:00

10 July, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿India tour of England, 2025 - 3rd Test
📍Lord's Cricket Ground, London
🏏England vs India
⏰Match starts at 18:00

12 July, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Australia Tour of West Indies, 2025 - 3rd Test
📍Sabina Park, Kingston
🏏West Indies vs Australia
⏰Match starts at 23:00

23 July, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿India tour of England, 2025 - 4th Test
📍Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
🏏England vs India
⏰Match starts at 18:00

31 July, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿India tour of England, 2025 - 5th Test
📍Kennington Oval, London
🏏England vs India
⏰Match starts at 18:00

21 November, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿England tour of Australia, 2025/26 - 1st Test
📍Perth Stadium, Perth
🏏Australia vs England
⏰Match starts at 10:30

04 December, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿England tour of Australia, 2025/26 - 2nd Test
📍The Gabba, Brisbane
🏏Australia vs England
⏰Match starts at 12:30

17 December, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿England tour of Australia, 2025/26 - 3rd Test
📍Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
🏏Australia vs England
⏰Match starts at 07:30

26 December, 2025
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿England tour of Australia, 2025/26 - 4th Test
📍Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne
🏏Australia vs England
Match starts at 07:30

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One golden rule: Always back the Indian national team to win. Trust the boys!

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Test Match Breakdown: 5 Days of Pure Cricket Theatre

Day 1 – The Opening Act
The toss decides who bats or bowls first. The goal for the first innings – Score 200–250+ runs while losing less than 3–4 wickets. That’s what we call a strong opening.
Day 2 – First Innings Wrap & Second Innings Starts
Push that first innings total to 350–400 to build scoreboard pressure. Now the second team comes in—if they fall behind by 200+ runs, the pressure DAMN, they risk a follow-on.
Day 3 – Third Innings Time: Stretch That Lead
Second innings usually wraps today. If the leading team is still dominating, they’ll aim to stretch the lead by 200–300 runs in their third innings. Or—if they’re feeling confident—they might declare early and let the other team bat.
Day 4 – Time & Tempo Management
The chasing team needs to hold their ground. Score at least 100–150 runs, save your wickets, and stay alive for Day 5. This is where things get spicy.
Day 5 – The Final Showdown
The final day is all about the 4th innings clash—some teams go all out chasing victory, others dig in to stay in a DRAW, and sometimes the match just drags on with no result at all.

How to win Test Championship?

At the very top of Test cricket sits the World Test Championship (WTC)— Every match, every point, it's all about making it to the big final and lifting that trophy.

9 countries compete. Each team plays 6 Test series over 2 years (3 at home, 3 away, roughly 20+ matches total)

At the end of the 2-year cycle, the top 2 teams on the points table face off in the WTC Final. One match. One champion.

How Are Points Scored in Test Matches?

Win = 12 points; Draw = 4 points; Tie = 6 points; Loss = 0

When Did the WTC Start?

The first-ever WTC kicked off in July 2019. The ICC launched it to make Test cricket more competitive and meaningful, giving the format its own legit championship title.

Guess the ICC really enjoy the drama, lol.

Past WTC Champions (As of 2025)

The WTC kicked off in 2019, and by now (May 2025), we’ve already seen three epic editions:

2019–2021: New Zealand took the crown, defeating India.
2021–2023: Australia won the title—again, against India.
2023–2025: The final is South Africa vs Australia, but it hasn’t happened yet!
Catch the big showdown this June at Lord’s, London.

Next WTC cycle, 2025–2027, with the 4th WTC Final set for 2027.
And yeah... India didn’t make it to the final this year. I was sulking for a whole week, boss.

India’s ICC Test Ranking – 2025 Update

As of May 2025, India is sitting at #3 in the ICC Test Rankings. These rankings cover all international Test matches, whether it’s bilateral series or other official games.

Pos	Team	Matches	Pts	Rating
01	Australia	39	4942	127
02	South Africa	30	3355	112
03	India	39	4248	109
04	England	46	4815	105
05	New Zealand	33	3216	97
06	Sri Lanka	31	2664	86
07	Pakistan	30	2462	82
08	West Indies	32	2433	76
09	Bangladesh	32	1959	61
10	Ireland	6	181	30
11	Afghanistan	6	112	19
12	Zimbabwe	10	120	12

💡

And it’s not just about total points. Rankings are adjusted based on PCT (Percentage of Points Won)

Can’t make it to the stadium, dude, stop stressing I got you. You can watch Test match live streams for free on your phone—just spend 30 seconds to register a free gaming account.

And start watching top teams like India, Australia, England, Pakistan and more in action!

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