First day’s play of WTC final washed out as rain plays spoilsport

The inaugural World Test Championship final suffered a setback at the outset after persistent rain meant there was no play at all between India and New Zealand on Friday’s opening day at Southampton.

A match that represents the culmination of two years’ worth of series stalled after heavy overnight and early morning rain delayed the scheduled 10:30 am local time (0930 GMT) start and ensured there was no play before lunch.

With south coast county Hampshire’s headquarters subjected to further downpours, it was no surprise when umpires Michael Gough and Richard Illingworth abandoned play for the day at 2:48 pm (1348 GMT).

New Zealand’s Latham thankful for extra day: New Zealand’s Tom Latham was thankful for the possibility of extra time after the opening day’s play in the inaugural World Test Championship final against India at Southampton on Friday was washed out without a ball being bowled.

While a standard Test lasts a maximum of five days, this fixture can be extended into a sixth day should match referee Chris Broad decide that is the only way to make-up time lost earlier in the game to bad weather.

“It’s great that there’s the extra day, and hopefully whatever happens then there might be a result on that last day,” Latham told reporters after play was called off Friday.

“It’s disappointing, the rain today. It’s just one of those things that as cricketers you need to adapt, and unfortunately that’s something we can’t control.

“For us it’s just about waiting, and then when we get the opportunity to come on, making sure we’re ready to go.”

This fixture is worth $1.6 million to the winners and $800,000 to the runners-up.

India captain Virat Kohli, however, questioned its value in sports terms by saying Thursday: “If you’re talking about Test cricket and deciding who is the best team in the world on one game over a period of five days, that is not the reality of the truth.”

India may stick to their XI after rains, says fielding coach: India are looking to stick to the playing XI they announced on Thursday for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand even though they have an option to change it before the toss takes place.

The first day’s play was washed out and the toss will take place on the second day if rain relents.

“I think the XI which has been announced is the XI that takes the pitch and conditions out of the equation. I think it is an XI which can play and perform on any given surface and in any given weather conditions. So that is what I believe this XI is all about which we have put on the park,” India’s fielding coach R Sridhar told the media on Friday. New Zealand are yet to name their XI.

Agencies