There will be no play in the first session of the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand at Southampton on Friday owing to incessant rain. A question immediately arises for those familiar with the weather in England: What will happen if more time is lost during the course of play because of rain?
The International Cricket Council has, fortunately, kept a reserve day for this historic final in case time and overs are lost due to inclement weather. The Test will run from June 18 to 22 and June 23 has been kept as the reserve day.
But when will the sixth day come into play?
The reserve day will be used only if the time lost during regulation play on each day is not made up on the same day. If one hour of play is lost to weather but is made up by an extra hour of play at the end of the same day, the total playing time lost amounts to zero. However, if an entire day's play is lost and only a few hours are squeezed in over the remaining four days, the teams are left short of total playing time for the fixture. The sixth day would then go into effect.
Read more: India vs New Zealand World Test Championship Final: Toss delayed due to rain
The sixth day, if it is used, will comprise a maximum of 330 minutes or 83 overs plus the actual last hour.
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