Playing conditions for World Test Championship Final explained
Arguably the most awaited Test match of the year will commence on 18th June 2021, when India and New Zealand will battle it out in the summit clash of the World Test Championship. The two sides will face each other at Southampton and both these sides will be looking to outdo the other.
New Zealand will enter the WTC Final extremely high on confidence after thrashing England by 8 wickets in the 2nd Test that concluded on 13th June 2021. And, for the WTC Final, the ICC has put forth a set of playing conditions that will be followed. In this article, let us take a look at these conditions.
The Concept of the Reserve Day
While the WTC Final is slated to end on 22nd June 2021, 23rd June will be used as the reserve day if the scheduled amount of overs have not been bowled in the five days of the Test match. The reserve day will see 83 overs being bowled with the provision of playing one extra hour as well.
However, it is important to note that if the scheduled amount of overs have been bowled on all the 5 days and still the match results in a draw, the reserve day will not be used. There is also something called the 60-minute rule. If the total amount of play lost in all the 5 match days put together is less than one hour, then there will be no need for the reserve day to be enforced if both teams agree for a draw.
What happens if the match ends in a Tie?
If the match results in a Tie, then India and New Zealand will both be declared as the joint winners of the World Test Championship (WTC).
What are the rules regarding Player reviews?
For player reviews, the batsman or the captain availing the review can confirm with the on field umpire whether an attempt has been made to play the ball before availing the help of technology.
What is the Umpires Call Rule?
Also, for the Umpires Call rule regarding Leg Before Wicket reviews, the top of the stumps will act as the wicket zone so that the same margin will be used for both the width and height of the stumps.
Short Run Rule
This rule is simple. The short-run decision will directly rest in the hands of the third umpire. This means that if there is a short run, it will be intimated to the on-field umpire by the third umpire.
Also, the Duke Ball will be used for the WTC Final. The two umpires who will be officiating this match are Richard Illingworth and Michael Gough. The TV umpire will be Richard Kettleborough, while Chris Broad has been appointed as the Match Referee for this clash.
