India skipper Virat Kohli carries the expectations of a billion while New Zealand will pin their hopes on Kane Williamson when the two teams engage in a battle to create a lasting legacy in pristine whites in the inaugural World Test Championship final starting on Friday at Rose Bowl, Southampton.
For the connoisseurs of the glorious game, Test cricket is the ultimate format and despite its aura, the 144-year-old history needed a facelift along with a context which the World Test Championship provided despite various bottlenecks, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the weather forecast (as expected in England) shows thunderstorms, morning showers, passing showers on all days of play. As per the weather forecast from accuweather.com, it is more likely to rain on June 19, June 20, and June 22 than on the other two days. Although, it won't be sunny on June 18 and June 21 either. It is also expected to rain on the reserve day.
June 18, Day 1: It is expected to be cool and cloudy, with showers and thunderstorms. There are 67% chances of rain. The temperature is expected to hover between 11 and 16 degree Celsius. The start of play is likely to be delayed.
June 19, Day 2: Morning showers are expected. Later, it will be less cloudy and there are lesser chances of thunderstorms. The temperature will hover between 13 and 19 degree Celsius. The bowlers will love the weather as it will assist them pick up wickets.
June 20, Day 3: A huge part of the day's play is likely to be interrupted due to rain. The temperature will hover between 13 and 18 degree Celsius. It won't be an ideal day for cricket as the average speed of the wind will be 13 km/h.
June 21, Day 4: There are no chances of thunderstorms, however, passing showers are expected. The wind is expected to blow at over 30 km/h which might be a problem in the proceedings of the match.
June 22, Day 5: A spell of showers is expected in the afternoon. There are no chances of thunderstorms and the weather in the third session will be good for play.
June 23, Reserve Day: The reserve day will come into play if the time lost in the five days could not be covered by additional time on other days to make up for it. The reserve day will have a maximum of 330 minutes or 83 overs with an additional last hour if needed. However, rain is expected to interrupt play even on this day.
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