Praveen Kumar
Test cricket gives each side two innings across a scheduled five days. An ODI gives each side up to 50 overs in one day, while a T20I gives each side up to 20 overs. Those limits, fielding restrictions, ball rules and ways of deciding a match create three very different games.
The basic comparison
| Feature | Test | ODI | T20I |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled structure | Two innings per side; five days | One innings per side; 50 overs each; one day | One innings per side; 20 overs each; one day |
| Balls per full innings | 540 legal deliveries as the daily minimum is 90 overs, but an innings is not capped at a fixed number of balls | 300 legal deliveries | 120 legal deliveries |
| Powerplay fielding rules | No limited-overs Powerplay phases | Overs 1–10: up to two fielders outside; 11–40: up to four; 41–50: up to five | Overs 1–6: up to two outside; thereafter up to five |
| Follow-on | Available: a first-innings lead of at least 200 runs lets the leading side ask the other side to bat again | Does not apply: one innings each | Does not apply: one innings each |
| Player DRS reviews | Three unsuccessful reviews per team in each innings | Two unsuccessful reviews per team in each innings | Two unsuccessful reviews per team in each innings |
| New-ball rule | A new ball starts each innings; another may be demanded after 80 overs with the old ball | Two new balls, one from each end, for overs 1–34; one is selected for the remaining overs | One new ball starts each innings |
| How a drawn or tied match is handled | A tie is equal scores after all innings; otherwise an unfinished match is a draw | A tie goes to a Super Over; if it cannot decide a winner, the match is tied; an interruption can produce No Result | A tie goes to a Super Over; if it cannot decide a winner, the match is tied; an interruption can produce No Result |
| Typical viewing time | Up to five scheduled days | A full scheduled day | About three hours, according to the ICC’s format overview |
The ball counts in the table mean legal deliveries: six legal balls make one over. In a Test, 90 overs is the minimum target on days other than the last day, not a cap on a batting innings. A side can bat for much longer, or be dismissed sooner.
Overs, innings and the follow-on
The innings structure is the biggest difference. In a Test, both teams normally bat twice. A captain can also declare before all 10 wickets fall. If the team batting first leads by at least 200 runs, its captain may enforce the follow-on, sending the other team back in immediately. This is a Test-only option here.
ODIs and T20Is are single-innings contests. In an uninterrupted ODI, each team has 50 overs unless it is all out earlier. In an uninterrupted T20I, each team has 20 overs unless it is all out earlier. A shortened match uses the relevant interruption provisions and, in limited-overs cricket, may use the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern method to set a revised target. The ODI conditions require at least 20 overs for the second team for a rain-affected match to constitute a match, unless a result is reached earlier; T20I conditions use a five-over minimum in the comparable situation.
For scorecards and records, see FairPlay’s cricket statistics page.
Powerplays and new balls
Powerplays are limited-overs fielding restrictions, not a Test feature. In an ODI, the first 10 overs are the opening phase, with no more than two fielders outside the marked restriction area. The middle phase runs from overs 11 to 40, with no more than four outside, and the final 10 overs allow no more than five outside. If rain reduces the innings, the ICC table resizes the three phases.
A T20I has a six-over Powerplay. Only two fielders may be outside during those six overs; after that, no more than five may be outside. The Powerplay is shorter because the entire innings is only 20 overs, so early attacking batting and the protection of wickets matter immediately.
The ball behaves differently too. In Tests, one new ball begins each innings, and the fielding captain can take another new ball after 80 overs have been bowled with the old one. In an ODI, the fielding side starts with two new balls, used alternately from the two ends for overs 1 to 34. At the end of over 34, it chooses one of them for the rest of the innings. In a T20I, one new ball is used at the start of each innings, with replacement rules applying if the ball is lost or becomes unfit.
DRS reviews: what the numbers mean
The review allowances count Player Reviews categorised as unsuccessful. A successful review does not count towards the innings limit, and an LBW review left unchanged solely because of Umpire’s Call also does not count. Tests allow three unsuccessful reviews per team in each innings; ODIs and T20Is allow two.
That distinction matters in a Test because a team has two batting innings and two opportunities to field, while a limited-overs team has only one innings in each role. Reviews remain a tool for checking dismissal decisions; they do not change the basic format or guarantee a particular result.
Draws, ties and match duration
A Test can finish as a win, a tie or a draw. A tie requires all innings to be completed with equal scores. A draw is the result when the match is not decided in one of those ways. Time, weather, slow scoring, defensive batting or a team’s resistance can therefore leave a Test unfinished after five scheduled days.
An ODI or T20I is designed to produce a result within one day. If scores are level after both innings, the ICC conditions require a Super Over, with further Super Overs if needed and possible. If a shortened match cannot meet its minimum requirements, it can be a No Result.
The ICC describes a T20I as usually being competed in three hours. An ODI occupies a full day because it contains up to 100 overs, an interval and time for reviews and other stoppages. Test cricket is a multi-day commitment: its scheduled duration is five days, although a result can arrive much earlier.
Why scoring rates rise as the format gets shorter
Scoring rate is the runs per over. Shorter formats increase the value of each delivery because there are fewer deliveries in which to build an innings. A T20I batter cannot spend long scoring slowly and expect many overs later to repair the total. The Powerplay creates an attacking field-placement opportunity, while later overs reward boundary hitting before the 120-ball limit ends.
ODI batting has more room for phases: teams can preserve wickets early, build through the middle overs and attack at the end. Its two-ball arrangement and changing fielding restrictions shape those phases. Test batting is different again. With no fixed ball limit for an innings, a batter can value occupation, leave difficult deliveries and wait for a scoring opportunity. Bowlers can use movement, changing conditions and an older ball over a much longer spell, so a high scoring rate is not always the main objective.
These are format tendencies, not promises about every pitch or match. Venue, weather, team selection and match state also affect scoring. FairPlay therefore keeps one team rating for each format group—T20, ODI and Test—rather than treating performance in one format as identical to another. The model is an Elo-kind team-rating model based on past results, and its statistical estimates are not tips or guarantees. The approach is described in FairPlay’s prediction methodology.
Sources: ICC Men’s Test Match Playing Conditions, October 2026; ICC Men’s ODI Playing Conditions, October 2026; ICC Men’s T20I Playing Conditions, October 2026; ICC: The Three Formats
This article was written by the FairPlay Editorial Desk with AI assistance, using the sources listed above. It was reviewed by Praveen Kumar of the FairPlay editorial team before publication. To report an error, see our Editorial Policy.