At a time when four-day Test matches have become a reality - England and Zimbabwe played the first-ever four-day Test last month, which England won - a drawn game in a five-day affair has become a rarity. But when the venue is England, especially the Lord's, where the weather plays more tricks than the opposition bowlers, getting a clear winner in stipulated time can, at times, be tricky. The iconic Lord's is this time the venue for the World Test Championship final between England and Australia.
With the bowling attacks that Australia and South Africa possess, it is more than likely that the WTC final will have a clear winner. But just in case Pat Cummins or Kagiso Rabada's team can't pick 20 wickets due to the doggedness of the batters or weather interruptions and the match ends in a draw, who will be declared the winners of the WTC final?
In straight and simple words, there will be joint winners. In case the WTC final ends in a draw, Australia captain Pat Cummins and South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma will share the Test mace. Yes, there was a lot of chatter from fans and experts about a best-of-three final to decide the winner of the WTC after a two-year gruelling battle to reach the summit clash, but the ICC has stuck with the one final format. And as things stand now, there is a realistic possibility of the trophy being shared.
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Does that mean poor weather can actually force a draw in the WTC final? It can, but the ICC has tried to minimise its effects by keeping a reserve day. The sixth day, i.e., the reserve day, will come into effect if time has been lost to bad weather across the five days and they are unable to make up for it in those five days, and no result has been reached by the end of the fifth day.
{{/usCountry}}Does that mean poor weather can actually force a draw in the WTC final? It can, but the ICC has tried to minimise its effects by keeping a reserve day. The sixth day, i.e., the reserve day, will come into effect if time has been lost to bad weather across the five days and they are unable to make up for it in those five days, and no result has been reached by the end of the fifth day.
{{/usCountry}}The reserve day was used to get a result in the inaugural edition of the WTC final in 2021 between India and New Zealand when rain played spoilsport in the first few days of the final.
Will the reserve day be used in case the match ends in a draw without weather interventions? No! The reserve day is not there to force a result if the Test match ends in a draw with no time lost. It will only be used if time is lost and the match officials are unable to make up for it during the course of five days.
What are the chances of rain during the WTC final?
The WTC final will be played between June 11 and 15. The first day is unlikely to see any weather-related interruptions. The skies will remain overcast but the chances of rain are slim; but it can cause trouble on Day 2 and Day 3. There are chances of rain on Thursday and Friday before the weather clears up over the weekend.
Are there any other rule changes for the WTC final?
No. The same rules for a normal Test match apply to the WTC final. As it is being played in England, the WTC final, like the previous two editions, will be played with the Duke's ball and not the Kookaburra one, which both South Africa and Australia use at home.