Ben Stokes and Shubman Gill on Wednesday called for longer gaps in between matches, as a three-day break is too less for a five-Test series like the ongoing rubber, considering the heavy workload on the bowlers.
There was a week-long gap after the first Test in Leeds and the third Test at Lord's, but teams just had a three-day turnaround between the second and third match, and fourth and the fifth game.
The tight schedule meant less time for players to recover. Stokes was on Wednesday ruled out of the series finale due to a right shoulder injury, and India too have had to deal with injuries to some of their pacers.
"I guess you can look back on a five-game series and could the gaps between games be a little better... You've had two eight and nine-day turnarounds and two three-days, maybe you could look at making it all five for every game so there's consistency," said Stokes on the eve of the fifth Test at The Oval.
"It has been tough for both teams. It's been a lot of overs for bowlers, lots of time out on the field, that's part of the game. Maybe you could look at did we need to have 8/9 day breaks and then three days. Could it be four or five for each," added Stokes.
India captain Gill said all games lasting full five days have made it harder for the players to recover from.
"Also, one of the most important things in the series has been that all the matches have gone up till five days. And not just five days, the last session of the fifth day. I can't remember a series where all the four Test matches that were played went up till that last moment. So, it is definitely hard.
"Three days is too less of a turnaround when both the teams are playing such hard cricket. Also, we understand that if you keep giving five or six days after every match, the tour becomes very long. So, yes, it is something that I think the decision has been taken by the boards," Gill said.
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