Stingless Tail May Haunt India

Team Needs Some More Runs from Nos. 8-11 in England; Day 4 Also Washed Out

- Partha.Bhaduri

Tears poured down for Brand Test Cricket from the skies above the Hampshire Bowl on Monday, leading to no play on Day 4, the second day of complete washout in the World Test Championship Final. The incessant rain also brought into focus the ICC’s decision to shift the venue from London to Southampton, ostensibly since the presence of an on-site hotel would minimise the impact of the coronavirus.

While future tweaks to the WTC Final norms now seem a certainty, there’s no cause for despair yet: the forecast is for some let-up in the rain over the next two days (yes, there is a reserve day), and there will be a possible six sessions and 196 overs to squeeze in the remaining three innings. New Zealand are now 101/2 in reply to India’s 217.

Grey skies are expected and any sunshine will be good news for the Kiwi batsmen, since the eventuality of a result will hinge on the bowlers engineering the sort of batting collapse the Indians suffered lower down the order on Day 3. an eventuality which may come back to haunt them in this game.