What happens if the World Test Championship final ends in a draw or tie?
It's past Lunch time and not even the toss coin has been flipped at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, venue of the inaugural World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand.
The toss should have taken place at 10:00 am local time (0900 GMT), with the match getting underway 30 minutes later, but heavy overnight and early morning rain meant the pitch and square at the Hampshire Bowl remained fully covered as groundstaff began the lengthy process of clearing surface water off the outfield.
And it's only plausible to assume that the pertinent question that cricket enthusiasts might be pondering now is what happens if the WTC final ends in a draw or a tie?
In case the match ends in a draw or a tie both teams will be crowned as joint winners of the inaugural World Test Championship. Not a very exciting ending for fans who have been following the two-year programme of series to know which team will finally be crowned as champions, right?
However, the playing conditions allow for a reserve day -- which in this case is June 23 -- to make up for any time lost during the regular playing days. But that can only be used if the net playing time for the game is lost during the scheduled five-day contest.
Net playing time of a Test amounts to 30 hours of play -- six hours each day.
However, match referee Chris Broad could only opt for the reserve day if he thinks that that is the only way to make up for the lost time during the course of the five days or the match does not reach a deciding point before that.
According to normal provisions for Test matches, officials can extend the play by half an hour at the end of the day and start the next day a half-hour early to make up for the lost time during the regular playing days. The reserve day will kick in only if the officials fail to make up for the lost time according to the standard provision.
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