Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to key eventsSkip to navigation

India v New Zealand: day four of World Test Championship final abandoned – as it happened

This article is more than 2 years old

Rain ensured that not a ball was bowled in Southampton on day four

 Updated 
(now) and (earlier)
Mon 21 Jun 2021 11.24 EDTFirst published on Mon 21 Jun 2021 04.30 EDT
This is England (cricketing weather) 21.
This is England (cricketing weather) 21. Photograph: Alex Davidson/Getty Images
This is England (cricketing weather) 21. Photograph: Alex Davidson/Getty Images

Live feed

Key events

One or two people have asked if the two sides might agree to add another reserve day, extending the game to a week. Something tells me it’s highly unlikely, a suspicion shared by a source who’s better placed to judge. But it’s got to be worth a try, and I sincerely hope the ICC is working on it.

That’s it from us. Thanks for your company and your correspondence, and thanks to too Adam Collins for shouldering more than his fair share of the burden of telling you what wasn’t happening, as it didn’t happen. The OBO will be back at 10am UK time tomorrow, praying for a prompt start at half-past.

Share
Updated at 

So, after four days, we’ve had two wash-outs. And one of them on the longest day of the year, when not even England is usually this damp. It’s a crying shame, and it means that there are only two days left to squeeze in two and a half innings.

The weather forecast, clearly toying with us, is now quite good. Mainly dry tomorrow, albeit as grey as a TV commentator’s tie; sunny spells on Wednesday, by which time it may be too late. So, say we get close to the theoretical maximum of 196 overs. NZ could bat for two sessions and a bit, abandon their inhibitions and aim for 350. India would then go in again, 130 behind, with about 120 overs left.

NZ would have to bowl them out in about 90 overs, as in the first innings – and we can be sure they wouldn’t waste the new ball the way they did on Friday morning. If India do a bit better second time around and make 250, NZ will end up chasing 120 off 28 overs, and there will be a grandstand finish. We can but hope.

Share
Updated at 

Another email from David Griffiths, and a change of tone. “Haha yes,” he very genially replies, “Kyle J is pretty good.”

So good that NZ, as well as being the best batters in Tests at the Bowl, are also the best bowlers. Small sample, of course, but Kyle and company average 21 there, nipping ahead of West Indies on 25 and England on 28, and leaving the Asian teams in the dust – India 42, Sri Lanka 47, Pakistan 57. Makes you wonder if the Indian board knew that when they agreed to let this match move to Southampton from Lord’s.

Here’s David Griffiths, and he’s not happy. “(Summoning up my best Northern Irish accent),” he begins, “I utterly reject Adam Collins’ contention where he says: ‘Just as it did during the World Cup a couple of years ago when rain threatened to have a big day in the final analysis (it didn’t).’ New Zealand would not have made the final in 2019 if their round robin match vs India hadn’t been washed out and they had instead lost, as they subsequently did to Pakistan, Australia and England before limping on a flotilla of damp squids [sic] into the semi – a rain-soaked affair as well which they managed to pinch off India in between the rainbreaks. Pakistan would have qualified instead.

“But nooo, NZ slipped in, like Claudius in Hamlet, and then pissed it up a wall in the final as they always do. I’m sorry but I’m fed up with all this Kane adulation, as if he holds the Golden Compass. They are chancers!”

David, you’re fully entitled to your opinion. But would it be safe to assume that you haven’t seen much of Kyle Jamieson?

Share
Updated at 

“It pains me to say it,” says Kevin Pietersen on Twitter, “but a ONE OFF & incredibly important cricket game should NOT be played in the UK.” It pains me to say it, KP, but I’m not sure you’ve drawn the right conclusion there. England has hosted more World Cup finals than any other nation, and the last one was the greatest of them all.

What this sodden occasion has shown is that it was a very good idea to have a reserve day – we just could have done with two more of them. To be fair, that decision will have been made at a time when there it was still possible that the final would involve England, who have a T20 series starting on Wednesday. If push had come to shove, I’d have happily let them clash, with England’s all-format players having to miss a couple of T20 games (which is hardly unknown these days), but you can see why the administrators might have wanted to avoid it. We are where we are – and there’s still a slim chance of a result here.

What can we find to cheer ourselves up? I know – a stat! India may be the best team in the world, but when it comes to batting in a Test on the outskirts of Southampton, they’re the worst. After yesterday’s collapse, they average 23 over their three Tests at the Ageas Bowl (aka the Rose Bowl or, as the TV commentators for this game are clearly being forced to call it, the Hampshire Bowl). In this little league, India are some way adrift of Pakistan, who are on 29, not to mention Sri Lanka (32) and West Indies (34). The best batters at the Bowl are usually England (40, mainly thanks to Zak Crawley), but even they are now being outdone by New Zealand (50).

Early days, of course, and the Kiwis haven’t got everything right – after seeing off the new ball, they got stuck in second gear for too long and wasted some precious time. But the way they adapt to each challenge life throws at them is so impressive. Right now, they’re probably watching videos of themselves hitting sixes, so as to be ready to slot into top gear when the rain finally relents.

Share
Updated at 

Thanks Adam and afternoon everyone. It’s a sad, sad situation, and as an Englishman I can only apologise on behalf of our sodding weather.

Adam Collins
Adam Collins

It’s time for me to make way. A frustrating time, no doubt, but at least we got to have a bit of fun along the way. Over to Tim de Lisle. See you tomorrow for, hopefully, some riveting cricket. Bye!

“Hi Adam.” John Starbuck, hello! “It’s nice to know Sarah Torvalds is still around and emailing the OBO. It seems like ages. I fully agree that the weather needs changing about, especially as I’m sat here wearing a shirt, jumper and gilet on my top half; on Midsummer’s Day too.”

As if the day was not miserable enough already for New Zealand (and India), we’ve got a familiar highlights package on the big screen #WTCfinal #barestofmargins pic.twitter.com/4bNaZtiS8H

— Andrew Miller (@miller_cricket) June 21, 2021

“Hello Adam.” Allo, Sara Torvalds. “I’m in the shade by the seaside by the Gulf of Finland, where it’s currently too hot to do anything much. (An online meeting at noon local time was interrupted when one of the participants had to put their mobile in the fridge to cool off after it complained Helsinki was too hot.) So, please send some of that rain eastward (Stockholm is baking, too, another participant complained) and let’s have a Kiwi victory to celebrate!”

Let’s move the final there! My one visit to Helskini involved walking across the Olympic Stadium outfield in three feet of snow to learn everything I could about Paavo Nurmi. Here’s their cricket history.

Some good news for crowds as far as Covid is concerned.

ECB announce that the 3 ODIs against Sri Lanka next week (Durham, Oval, Bristol) will be part of the government's pilot scheme for the return of crowds

— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) June 21, 2021

The ODI against Pakistan at Lord's on July 10 is also a pilot, say MCC

— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) June 21, 2021



“Seems crazy to me that we might have two winners when there is an actual mace available,” says Pete Salmon. “Surely of it’s a draw we put Kohli and Williamson on horses on the boundary and the mace on the pitch. The first one to get it and knock the other off the horse wins. While we all drink mead. Make THAT timeless and I’ll be watching.”

Hell yeah! I’m still trying to work out how they will jointly hold it aloft. Who holds the bit on the end? That’ll feel like second prize.

A creative solution from my old mucker Dan Liebke.

#WTCFinal trophy shouldn't be shared if it's a draw, but instead divvied up in proportion to average WinViz percentage over the course of the non-raining, non-dark periods of play.

— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) June 21, 2021

By the way, if we’re banning England from hosting, I suppose Sydney has to go as well. Ric Finlay does a mighty job of maintaining these figures, which we Melburnians (my original home) so adore.

Updated Washout Figures:
25 Sydney
9 Melbourne
8 Brisbane
2 Adelaide
1 Hobart
0 Perth#AusvInd

— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) January 7, 2019

“Cheers for linking to those highlights of the WC semi against India, never ever ever gets old.” My pleasure, Ben Bernards. “Brings a tear to the eye even now. Obviously as regards the final, I don’t know a single Kiwi who has ever watched the game or indeed highlights of that game since the day. That pain, the excruciating, devastating, unjust agony will never ever ever be anything but raw and unbearable!”

I’ve just had some glorious linear scorecards made up of the final to gift my radio commentary team that day (shhh, don’t tell them). Jeremy Coney was part of that group but, for the reasons that you suggest, I’m not entirely sure it’ll be appreciated! Check them out.

Back by popular demand: my linear version of the 2019 World Cup Final has been updated with new colours and adjusted formatting for an improved look. Hand written as always 👌 pic.twitter.com/zuaQC2WMS4

— Cricket Scorecards 🏏 🖊 (@cric_scorecards) June 9, 2021

Quite a lot of this going around the World Wide Web.

My favourite take is the ban all future cricket in England take. #WTCFinal pic.twitter.com/yjya2isAdV

— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) June 21, 2021

Just as it did during the World Cup a couple of years ago when rain threatened to have a big day in the final analysis (it didn’t). I absolutely understand the frustration - I’m currently helming a live blog primarily about rainfall - but the idea that England is not a suitable venue for global events because of it doesn’t tally either.

Yep, it’s still raining. Dinesh Karthik - cricket broadcasting’s best new talent - is adamant that India can still get a result, so long as they get back on later today or tomorrow morning. In practice, that probably means 28 further wickets in two days. An outside chance.

Wet weather has returned to the Hampshire Bowl so it’s table tennis for now…#WTC21 pic.twitter.com/hA0AjPgiya

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) June 21, 2021

I’d forgotten how wild the 2019 World Cup semi was between these teams. It’s the fill for TV, most entertaining. I was calling it for radio, that Guptill/Dhoni moment... blimey. Here’s the short version.

“Great idea to play extra day(s) to compensate for weather,” writes Tom Morgan. “But what about hanging on for a draw on day 5? Surely the finalists could agree to share the trophy? By the way, this does not apply to 50-over WC final (not if England are involved).”

Yep, that’s what will happen - Williamson and Kohli holding the trophy together on evening six. Actually, it’s the mace rather than the trophy - yep, that old thing. I wonder how they’ll lift it? Not like this, on this day in 1975.

Champions 🏆#OnThisDay in 1975, @windiescricket won the inaugural men's @cricketworldcup.#LoveLords pic.twitter.com/CDNSFkshhm

— Lord's Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) June 21, 2021

“Raiaiaiiiiiaiaiaiaaaaaiiiiin,” begins Alistair Connor. “I don’t mind … To quote the Beatles. I think your correspondants are all prevaricating about the bush, as to seven-day or timeless tests. The more reasonable response to the unlikelihood of getting a result this week, is surely NEVER to schedule a Championship test in England, ever again Am I being unfair?”

I’m not sure about that given what a brilliant challenge England presents with the moving ball. Also, I suppose this is the usual time in a rainy OBO that we revert to discussing how we put a giant shadecloth above the ground? Here’s an example of a lengthy discussion from a sodden mid-June World Cup match in 2019 - coincidentally, also between India and New Zealand.

“Hi Adam!” Abhijato Sensarma, one of our most dependable correspondents, good morning. “The WTC Final coverage has been fantastic. The largely monochromatic graphics matching the traditional colours of Test cricket are understated, the emotional arcs presented in the coverage are well-balanced in nature (thankfully, lacking nationalistic rhetoric), and the CricViz numbers lend red-ball cricket the analytical praise it deserves. All of it would have been futile without a good commentary panel, of course, and it’s a blessing to have the most impressive ensemble in the sport speaking their minds during the Test. A special shout-out to Dinesh Karthik - I saw only his fantastic selection of shirts during the Sky coverage of the India v England series, but I can now concur that he deserves every bit of the praise coming his way.”

Yep, tip top so far. Also classy: the grey outfits they have had them in. Far better than the red/blue blend from 2019. Yes, I’m shallow. Here’s Isa going into the ground before getting into her outfit.

Go away rain 🌧 #INDvNZ photo:@dudleyplatypus pic.twitter.com/SNAl6q4AdJ

— Isa Guha (@isaguha) June 21, 2021




Gary Naylor builds on James Glenday’s email. “If you’re going to play a one-off Test Match as a Final, you have to play it as a 450 overs (minimum) match? I mean, we’ve all got things to do, but delaying them a day or two is surely a price worth paying to protect the integrity of the concept?”

“The next final should be a timeless test,” says James Glenday, who is a keen watcher of the game. “They can then play until they drop or the rain stops. If it drags on for over a week or two the team that has to catch a plane home first loses. Loving the coverage!”

This might prompt the ICC to do just that. Although, crammed schedules as they are, the ECB won’t be thrilled that their first T20 against Sri Lanka might overlap with the conclusion of this. But it definitely will feel off if, after all the hoops the teams jumped through to be here, they split the difference after a damp draw.

Speaking of coverage, the TV rain fill is the 2019 World Cup semi-final, which was completed using a reserve day. What a finish...

Showing replays of an Indian capitulation against NZ in overcast, cold and rain-affected English conditions is both a) quite funny; and b) not great for the assertion that an English summer actually exists. #WTCFinal

— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) June 21, 2021

“Interesting the way some co-bowlers show up in pairs,” Ramaswamy says of to the all-time best bowling average list. “Marshall & Garner, Waqar & Wasim, Lindwall & Miller. Pat Cummins is a nose ahead of McGrath for now, but the surprise for me was the missing Warne. I guess Tendulkar, Laxman and others really did mess up his stats (25.41)! The 25.00 threshold used to irk Bob Willis a lot, who missed out by an even slimmer margin of 0.2.”

True as that is, Willis’ average swells from just over 25 to 28 when factoring in that no-balls didn’t go to the bowler’s runs-against in his era, and he sent down 939 of them in Test cricket!

“Long time listener, first time caller.” Just how we like them, David Hayward. Welcome. “It was a rare pleasure when I realised that the YouTube channel I stumbled across was you and Geoff in the flesh after years following you on the Guardian. Love your work.” Should I leave this in? Okay, I’m leaving this in. Thank you, most kind.

“I’m emailing from New Zealand, where it just seems unbelievable that we are here at the WTC final. I think the most exciting thing about NZ is their consistency - they had a bad day on Day 2, and came back with discipline on Day 3. They are up against a superb Indian team, and I love the way both captains went down two different routes: two spinners and three seamers vs four seamers, a swing bowler, and a lions-mane of a mullet. I hope the weather lets us get a result, but even so… the rain stopping it all and two captains having to share the mace-thing... That is so cricket.”

It really is. And like you, I was excited to see such a contrast between the team sheets. I suppose the risk wasn’t too great for New Zealand given Kane would have arrived at the toss knowing Kohli is a bat-first man. So, a spinner in the fourth innings was never likely to be required once he made his mind up to bowl first. And it worked so far, with all four of the quicks influential in India’s first dig.

“Hi Adam.” Peter Salmon, good morning. “Got to say, as far as I’m concerned this has been the perfect WTC final so far. The idea was to get the yoof to love test matches, as though all yoof, with their K-Pop and student debt, were the same. This game will sort out the wheat from the chaff I reckon. Small crowds, bad light, drizzle, and run rates of less that 2 an over. Loving it. Proper cricket. I just hope it rains from lunch on the last day, with the Kiwis 1/43 chasing 212.”

Something like that. I’m hopeful that the end of the first WTC cycle will prompt a discussion about how it can be done better. I’m a big fan of the concept and don’t think it’ll take many tweaks to take it to the next level. It’s locked in until 2023 in the current form, but from there, the ICC said back in 2019, they are open to improvements.

How about this Jason Holder snaffle! From the West Indies v South Africa Test at St Lucia. Nicely placed with the hosts 15-0 chasing 324 with two days remaining, albeit in a low-scoring match so far.

Jason Holder, that is outrageous. 😱🙇‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/np8gcAkDP5

— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) June 20, 2021

The TV coverage has started. Isa Guha and Nasser Hussain have confirmed that it’s going to be some time before play today, if at all.

“Evening Adam.” Hello, Phil Withall. “Looking at the weather today, and the forecast ahead, I’m wondering if this situation could lead to the reinstatement of Timeless test matches. The thought of a match slowly building over 12 or so days has me salivating. Forget the Hundred and T20, timeless cricket is the future!”

Be still my beating heart! Let’s get some of that Durban 1939 energy into the modern game - 11 days of the best.

“Good morning Adam.” Tanya Wintringham, always a joy to see your name pop up in my inbox from New Zealand. “Very nice to have you on the OBO while I am still awake! I hear what you’re saying about the final half hour being compelling - which it was - but the first couple of hours were pretty good too (I know you were enjoying working on the last day of the Indian v English women at that time). Could we have more women’s test cricket please - give Suzie Bates just one chance to play a game of the best form of cricket?”

It will be bordering on unforgivable if Bates manages to get through an entire, magnificent international career without being given the opportunity to play a Test. Hopefully, the excellent match at Bristol, and the two to come in Australia this winter, can be the catalyst for many more countries getting on board, including New Zealand.

Back to Tanya: “I got stuck in that just one more over, just one more over pattern for about half an hour or more, as the clock loomed nearer to midnight and beyond. So impressed with the way we took 7 for 71, working as a bowling unit even if Jamieson did take most of the wickets. I hope you enjoyed the Story Time areas with the best career bowling average stats, Jamieson being third behind George Lohmann and JJ Ferris in the all-time list. I am sure that they both have appeared more than once on the pod. Enjoy your spin on the OBO - I hope we get play, for all our sakes!”

That’s a reference to the weekend edition of Geoff Lemon and my pod, where we dig into the history of the game. And you’re right, most pleasing to see JJ and George have some company. The key is for him to reach 2000 deliveries to get on this chart. He’s more than three-quarters of the way there though, sitting on 1580 as of yesterday, taking his 44 wickets at an eye-watering average of 14.14.

Fascinating stuff, this. Jonathan Liew spoke with Nathan Leamon, England’s long-serving analyst, about his new book, co-authored with CricViz’s Ben Jones, Hitting Against the Spin. Well worth it.

This and many other lessons are set out in his new book Hitting Against The Spin, which seeks to explain some of the game’s hidden patterns and overlooked trends. Why India produces relatively few left-handed batsmen (largely because spin is a bigger threat in the early overs). Why Nasser Hussain was (statistically) right to bowl first at Brisbane in 2002. And why the frequent incantations for fast bowlers to “just pitch it up” often do more harm than good.

Preamble

Adam Collins
Adam Collins

So, how about a seventh day? Yep, you guessed it, the rain is falling again at Southampton and, according to my rain app, it looks to be set in for the time being. It’s such a shame, as the cricket played over the weekend was compelling, not least the final half an hour last night when Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja clamped Devon Conway down before Ishant Sharma picked him up in what turned out to be the final over before bad light brought at end to play.

To recap: with three days to go (including the spare), New Zealand are 116 runs behind the 217 India made in the first innings with eight wickets in hand; Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor in the middle. If today goes as badly as the forecast suggests it might, then the captains have a fairly big decision to make over days five and six.

On one hand, they can let the game drift - after all, a draw means both Williamson and Virat Kohli can hold up the trophy, in keeping with the playing conditions. Alternatively, they can consider setting up a final day dash, in the best tradition of rain-affected games in England. That’s unlikely, I suppose, but we can dare to dream.

For now, let’s stand by for the television coverage to begin at the Hampshire Bowl and see where the discussion takes us. If you’re new to these parts, rainy OBOs can often be the most educative. We’ll see how we go. You can drop me a line or pop me a tweet.

Most viewed

Most viewed