Dinesh Karthik is doubling up as a commentator and weatherman for the ICC World Test Championship final. The rainy conditions in Southampton mean Karthik, who made his commentary debut for the final between India and New Zealand, is also providing weather updates from the venue.
And he has revealed it’s raining at the Hampshire Bowl, the venue of the WTC Final and the pitch and its adjoining square is under the covers.
“Doesn’t look great at the moment," wrote Karthik alongside a picture of the venue.
Already we have lost a full day to rain - when the opening day’s play was abandoned without toss. And on Day 2, the play did get underway on time but with multiple interruptions due to bad light.
Not great atm pic.twitter.com/8Cf9tOvNlw— DK (@DineshKarthik) June 21, 2021
Sunday saw the match starting half-an-hour late due to wet conditions and ending half-an-hour earlier because of bad light. And if the forecast for Day 4 also turns out to be true, there may not be any play on Monday at all because of rain.
New Zealand won the toss and opted to field first and kept India to 217 in the first innings thanks to some incisive bowling from Kyle Jamieson who took a five-wicket haul including that of India captain Virat Kohli who had done well for his 44 and seemed set for a big score.
Kane Williamson’s men then also began well with the bat with a 70-run partnership between Tom Latham and Devon Conway for the first wicket. By the time the play ended on Day 3, New Zealand had made 101/2 with captain Williamson and veteran Ross Taylor in the middle.
The ICC, though, has added a sixth day for the Test should it be needed to make up for the time lost due to weather. However, the forecast for the remaining days is bleak as well.
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