What is stop-clock rule in Test Cricket? Will it make the red-ball cricket interesting?

Days after the International Cricket Council (ICC) revised several playing conditions for men’s cricket worldwide, including updating the Boundary Law and introducing the one-ball rule in ODIs from the 35th over onwards, they have made wholesome changes to some of the playing conditions in Tests as well. While many of the rule changes related to Test cricket have already come into play in the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, those affecting the One-Dayers will be effective from July 2. Of the latest ones, the introduction of a stop-clock in Test cricket hogged most limelight.

So, what is a stop-clock in Test cricket? And will it make the format interesting or fast-paced in any way?

What is stop-clock cricket?

Like how it reduces slow-over rates in ODIs, its introduction in Tests is for the same purpose.

A year after the ICC introduced the stop-clock rule in white-ball cricket, it decided to expand its use across the red-ball game too. Considering that the slow over rates have been a long-standing issue in the Test format, their introduction will force the fielding teams and their captains to act quickly between overs.

According to the revised rule, the fielding team must be ready to start an over within one minute of the previous one ending. While the on-field umpires are bound to warn the fielding team twice for their failure to do so, the officials will then impose a five-run penalty on the bowling team should they miss it the third time.

While the two warnings will be reset to zero after the completion of 80 overs each time, the clock will be counted upwards from 0 to 60; moreover, this rule has already been in action since the start of the latest 2025-27 WTC cycle.

No mandatory ball change over deliberate saliva usage

Although the ICC continues to ban the usage of saliva on the ball, it is no longer mandatory for the on-field umpires to change it should saliva be found on it. This change, however, has come on the back of teams trying to change the ball by deliberately applying saliva to it.
So, unlike the previous times, it’s up to the umpires to change the ball if its condition is drastically changed, like it appears too shiny or is wet from either or both sides.

However, in a case where the ball begins to act up a bit after the umpires acknowledge that, despite saliva’s application to it, it hasn’t changed, the batting team will be awarded five runs. All of this has been left entirely to the umpires and their decisions on the field.