World Test Championship Final: Reserve Day? Joint Winners? India, NZ Await Playing Conditions From ICC

With the first-ever World Test Championship final fast approaching, the International Cricket Council is mulling changes in the playing conditions with reports suggesting the introduction of a sixth day or a reserve day. India and New Zealand will clash in the WTC 2021 final in Southampton from June 18. (India's Squad | News)

There is a lot of confusion on the playing conditions for the WTC final. The common questions are what happens if the Test match ends in a draw or a tie? What will happen if the India vs New Zealand match is washed out?

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Both India and New Zealand are awaiting the playing conditions which ICC is likely to finalise by the end of this week.

“The idea is to ensure that match is played (in) full and no hours or overs are wasted. The reserve day was there in the initial plan and will ensure that full 30 hours of cricket is played,” a ICC source has been quoted as saying in a report  by a website.

The 'reserve day' condition has been removed from the FAQs on WTC on the ICC website. As per initial plans, the reserve day would have come into play had overs or playing time been lost during the five-day match.

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There are maximum of 450 overs (90 overs per day for five days) which could be bowled in a Test match and “ICC wants to give teams the maximum option to force a result.”

The idea of having a joint winner in case of a draw or tie also doesn’t augur well for ICC since it’s the inaugural WTC final.   

Meanwhile, both the India men and women’s teams are in quarantine in Mumbai.

India captain Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and head coach Ravi Shastri joined the England-bound bio-bubble on Tuesday.

The teams are expected to fly out on June 2 after all the playing and non-playing members return three negative RT-PCR results each.

The Indian men's cricket team will play a five-Test series against England after the World Test Championship final against New Zealand.

Indian women are scheduled to play England in one Test, three ODIs and as many T20 Internationals starting June 16.

The New Zealand cricket team, already in Southampton, will clash with India after playing two Tests against England at Lord's (from June 2) and Edgbaston (from June 10).