Rain meant there was no play at all in Monday's fourth day of the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand at Southampton — the second time in the match a day's play had been washed out without a ball bowled.
Overnight and early morning rain meant the pitch and square at Hampshire's headquarters remained fully covered when the match should have resumed at 10:30am local time. Play was finally abandoned for the day at 3:00pm, with Friday's first day having suffered a similar fate.
Match referee Chris Broad, however, has a special dispensation to extend this final into a sixth day — men's Tests usually only last a maximum of five days — if he feels that will compensate for time lost in the game.
An absorbing day of high-quality cricket on Sunday, cut short by bad light despite the use of the Hampshire Bowl's floodlights, ended with New Zealand 101-2 in reply to India's first innings 217 — a deficit of 116 runs.
New Zealand was somewhat comfortably placed at 101-2 after fast bowler Kyle Jamiesen’s 5-31 dismissed India for 217 in the first innings on the third day of the rain-affected inaugural WTC final.
The first day was completely washed out while only 64.4 overs could be bowled on the second day.
India’s middle order was rattled by an all-out New Zealand pace attack on Sunday before Devon Conway (54) and Tom Latham (30) provided a solid opening stand of 70 runs.
There is the provision of a reserve day and there's a much better forecast over the remaining two days. If the outcome is a draw, the trophy will be shared.
Agencies