Cricket can often become a complex game with its rules and regulations. The laws of cricket are the rules that govern each event on a cricket field. Among the multiple possibilities (or event) that occur in a cricket match, a DRAW or TIE are amongst those many possibilities. Both draw and tie are two results that deny a win or loss to either team. A tie can occur in any format while the possibility of Draw occurs only in a Test match. Let's discuss in more details about the difference between tie and draw in cricket.
Tie
A Tie is one of the results that can occur in a cricket match. In order to win a match, the team batting second needs to overhaul the opponent's score otherwise the team defending the total is declared as the winner. However, there have been instances when at the end of the match, both the teams are tied on equal scores. Tie in cricket exactly caters to such a situation when nothing separates the two teams and they end on equal scores.
A TIE can occur in any format. In T20 matches, the game is continued and the winner is decided by a Super Over. In ODIs, or in Test matches, the match result is declared as TIED. The chances of a Tie occurring in ODIs or T20 are far greater than in Test cricket. In the entire history of cricket, only two Test matches have ended in a Tie. The first Tied Test was played between Australia and West Indies in 1960. The second tied Test also saw Australia battle it out against India at Chepauk in 1986.
Draw
A Draw is one of the few possible results in Test cricket. A match ends in a Draw when none of the teams is able to carve out a result even after a duration of five days. A drawn can occur in various circumstances after five days is elapsed in a game. When a team, chasing the target in the 4th innings, fails to claim the target without being dismissed, or the bowling team is unable to bowl the opposition out at the end of Day 5.
The provision of having a Drawn Test was introduced with an objective of putting an end to timeless Test matches. However, a Test match ending in a draw is gradually becoming a rarity in the modern era. Mostly, Test matches don't last five days, especially with the kind of pitches that are on offer across the globe. With fragile batting line-ups and incompetent batters, teams don't often bat for long periods in Test matches.
Difference between Tie and Draw in Cricket?
The key difference a Tie and Draw in Cricket is that tie occurs when both the teams end of equal scores at the end of game while insufficient time in a Test match results in a drawn game. Both draw and Tie are exclusive results that can occur together only when the scores are tied on the last ball of the Test match. On two instances, a Test match has ended in a draw with scores level. The India vs West Indies Mumbai Test match in 2011 was a drawn Test which ended with both teams on parity.
