Australia coach Andrew McDonald makes sensational statement, says 'stop two-Test series'

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has made a sensational comment on the structure of the Test series after his side drew 2-2 in the Ashes 2023. McDonald, who has been at the helm of Australia since 2022, successfully led Australia to the defence of their Ashes title. He now claims that the two-match Test series structure should be put on the back burner. According to him, there should be a minimum of three matches in a bilateral Test series to underline the importance of the format.

McDonald’s sensational claim

"I'd encourage that the minimum number of Tests against a nation should be three. I think two-Test-match series should be put on the back burner and that would show the importance of Test cricket to every nation if it was a minimum of three Test matches,” McDonald said after his team’s 2-2 draw in the Ashes 2023.

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The Aussies are due to play a three-match Test series against Pakistan while they will take on West Indies and New Zealand in two-match series. McDonald reckons there should be a uniform format in the structure during the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

Six-match Ashes series?

Both Australia and England had a hectic couple of months that saw them play six Test matches, further fuelling talks of a six-match Ashes series. Australia played India in the WTC final while England faced Ireland before the Ashes took centre stage at Edgbaston.

"Did you ask that question to England, because they're usually the ones that are I suppose forecasting what the rules should be going forward in the laws of the game," McDonald said.

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"I think a six-Test-match series, now that we've had a drawn series, it's like the two-Test series against certain nations when it ends up one-all you walk away from that thinking 'geez, what about another one'.

"I don't know where it fits, though. I think that's probably a question for [ICC's] Geoff Allardice and Wasim Khan,” the Aussie gaffer added.

Australia in a sensational final day on Monday, July 31 failed to win their first Ashes on English soil since 2001. In a titanic collapse on the final day of the Oval Test, England got the better of Australia to achieve parity in the series at 2-2. The win saw England extend their unbeaten Ashes run on home soil however, a poor start to the series could not help them lift the Ashes.

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