'Test is the purest form of cricket': Sachin Tendulkar echoes Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir say on ICC's plan

Since the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) proposed a plan to introduce four-day Tests, many cricketers like Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, Nathan Lyon and Neil Wagner are against the new format.

Now, echoing their voice is Sachin Tendulkar. The legendary cricketer felt taking away the fifth day from spinners would be just like not allowing the pacers to bowl on the first day of a Test. 

“Spinners look forward to bowling with the scuffed ball, taking advantage on day five of the roughs created on the wicket. All that is a part of Test cricket. Is it fair to take that advantage away from the spinners,” the Master Blaster was quoted as saying by Mumbai Mirror.

“There is T20, there is one-dayers and then there are T10 and 100-ball cricket. The Test is the purest form of cricket. It should not be tinkered with,” he added. Sachin also felt that scrapping a day of Test cricket couldn’t be the solution to revive the longest format of the game and said the ICC should instead try to improve the quality of pitches.

“The ICC, in my view, should focus on providing quality playing surfaces. Let the ball do things - spin, seam, swing and bounce. It will automatically liven-up the game. It will also throw up more results. Currently, there are far too many dead games,” Tendulkar opined.

Earlier, former opener Gautam Gambhir also voiced his opinion, not in favour of the ICC’s proposal. 

Gambhir termed it as “a ridiculous idea” and felt reducing a day from the original format would lead to more matches ending without any result.