Former Australia opener Justin Langer has slammed the increasing frequency of Test matches ending inside two days, calling the trend “unacceptable” after Australia wrapped up an innings-and-51-run victory over Bangladesh in Mackay on Sunday.Australia needed only 750 balls to complete the second Test, bouncing back from their shock nine-wicket defeat in Darwin to level the two-match series 1-1. The result also marked the third Test involving Australia in their last seven to finish inside two days, raising fresh concerns over the health of the longest format.“Two-day Test matches (are) unacceptable. It’s no good for the game for so many reasons. Last year was disappointing for the crowds, for the kids who get to watch their heroes on TV or listen on the radio or get to the ground,” Langer said on SEN Radio.
Langer blames batting technique
Langer, who played 105 Tests for Australia, also highlighted the financial consequences of matches ending prematurely.“Economically it’s a disaster for Cricket Australia who put money into grassroots cricket. And you know we’re talking about very well-paid professionals now, and you get tired of hearing ‘Oh it’s just the pitches, oh it’s the curators, it’s the ball moves a bit’,” he said.Bangladesh were bowled out for 64 in their first innings and 95 in their second, while Mitchell Starc claimed 10 wickets in the match. Langer, however, believes the problem goes beyond pitch conditions and points towards shortcomings in batting fundamentals.“I think a lot of it is down to basic batting technique. Take this test match alone. Almost every dismissal has been batters; their front foot has not gone past the front line. It’s just basic technique, and it’s footwork patterns.“I coach young guys now, and I’ve just come back from England; there are a couple of batters who are in our Hundred team who are also wanting to become Test players. And you have some hits with them, and you say some things to them which are so basic for us in the game, and their eyes light up like you’re teaching them magic for the first time,” he added.
‘Bangladesh need more overseas Tests’
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto admitted his side did not produce their best performance but said the series would provide valuable lessons.“Yeah, obviously I think we all know how good they are and, as I said in the press conference, they have been experienced for almost 50, more than 50 years. So yeah, they played, they showed their character, and as the Bangladesh Test team, we didn’t play our best match,” Shanto said.He acknowledged the challenging conditions in Mackay, where extra bounce and movement made batting difficult.“Yeah, obviously I think this is a different condition, and there is a little bit more extra bounce and swing in the air. So it’s challenging for us. But as a team, if we want to go forward, we need to adjust to this condition, and I hope this experience will help going forward,” he said.Shoriful Islam’s 7/48 was a major positive for Bangladesh, while Shanto also praised Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud.“It’s quite difficult for all the batters. If you look at their batting also, they also struggled and the way Shoriful, Taskin and Hasan bowled, really happy to see them and it’s quite a difficult wicket to bat, to be very honest,” he said.Bangladesh’s historic Darwin victory provided a glimpse of their potential, and Shanto called for more exposure overseas.“Yeah, obviously I think it’s a very proud moment as a team, and we showed our character, and we were disciplined, as you mentioned, in the first Test, and we need to be consistent. I believe if we are able to get more chances, similar kind of conditions here, it will help us, and that’s what we want,” he said.“Not long, long term, like 23 years of coming here and playing two Test matches. It’s not easy. So if we have that chance to play every single year, it will help us to improve our game,” he said.