Testing times around the world

Anant Gaundalkar

Another proof, if at all it is needed, of too much of cricket all over the world in recent times is there to be seen in the current cricketing season, 1996-97. For the first time, there are two seperate instances of as many as three Test matches starting on the same day!

It happened for the first time on Boxing Day, December 26, 1996, and the phenomenon will be encored on Friday, March 15, 1997 when New Zealand takes on Sri Lanka at Wellington, Australia goes up against South Africa at Port Elizabeth and India take on the West Indies at Port of Spain

Ironically, each of these three Tests are the second games in the respective series. And if all matches last the full distance, then all five days of the Tests will overlap.

This is the fourth such instance in Test history when three Test matches have started on the same day, as detailed to the next page: