These days a test match is being played between India and Bangladesh in Chennai. At the same time, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are also engaged in test cricket in Galle, about a thousand kilometers away from Chennai. Both the test matches are being played with the same rules that apply in every test match. There is just one difference between these two - India and Bangladesh will play on the field for 5 consecutive days (if the match goes on for the full 5 days), while in the test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, there will be no match on the fourth day i.e. Saturday 21 September. That means both the players will not play on the field. The reason for this is also surprising because while the players of New Zealand will just rest the whole day, the players of Sri Lanka will do a very important work. This work is - voting.

There was a practice of rest day in Test cricket till about 30 years ago. That is, then Test matches used to be played for 6 days, in which there was a one-day break after the second or third day and then the match started again the next day. Then in the early years of 1990, this was abolished and the rule of playing continuously for 5 days was implemented, which made this format more challenging than before. Since then, Test matches have been played like this till date, but nothing like this will happen this time.

Sri Lankan players will do this work

Actually, presidential elections are to be held in Sri Lanka on 21 September and this time these elections are also important because 2 years ago, the government was toppled due to the public movement against the economic conditions in the country. After that, elections are going to be held in the country for the first time. In such a situation, everyone has been asked to participate in the voting. It is difficult to say whether the general public will do this or not, but Sri Lanka Cricket has asked all its players, coaching staff, match broadcasters and Sri Lankan commentators to participate in the voting. That is, everyone will go to their respective areas and vote and Sri Lanka Cricket has made arrangements for this. Some players left on Friday evening itself, some will go on Saturday morning and everyone will return to Galle by Saturday evening.

something like this happened before

Now the Sri Lankan players will have to fulfill their constitutional duty but the New Zealand players will definitely rest. They will have the whole day free. In this way, if this test goes on till the end, then it will become a 6-day test. However, this is not the first time that something like this has happened. Earlier in 2008, the game was stopped for a day in the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka test because there were parliamentary elections in Bangladesh at that time. That is, after ending the rest day, this will be only the second time when there will be a one-day break in the middle of a test and coincidentally both times it has happened due to elections.