Two-thirds of these 50 Tests finished on Day 4 or earlier. In the last five years, three-day finishes or fewer also rose to 21 per cent, going up from 14 per cent in the previous decade.

In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India, the first Test finished on Day 4 while the pink-ball Adelaide game finished within three days.

“We’ve got players that are incredibly entertaining now. I’d start on a Thursday and finish on a Sunday,” Vaughan told SEN Afternoons.

“I believe four-day cricket would be easier to schedule. It’d be easy for everyone to understand that Test match, cricket starts every Thursday when we’re playing the Test match game and it finishes on a Sunday… if it makes it to Sunday,” he added.

‘Need to seriously consider four-day Tests’

Michael Vaughan who led England to a famous Ashes win in 2005 also stated that the administrators need to seriously consider four-day Tests as it would help in attracting more eyeballs around the world.

“Let’s be honest, the way that the players go out and play their business now, they don’t play like I used to play or some of the teams back in the 80s and 90s played.

They’re playing a brand of cricket which is pretty much to try and win as quick as they possibly can and put the opposition under pressure,” said Vaughan.

“So, I genuinely believe that the administrators around the world need to seriously consider if it’s time to go from five (days) to four,” he added.

For the uninitiated, England had previously played against Ireland in a standalone four-day Test match at Lord’s Cricket Ground in 2023. This particular match wrapped up in the final session on Day 3.