WTC Final Southampton Weather Update
WTC Final Southampton Weather Update.

Day 2, Saturday, June 19, of the ongoing inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final between India and New Zealand provided the much-awaited contest between the two best Test sides in the world, after the grim of a complete washout on Day 1.

Day 2 at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton was a stop-start affair; while the rain eased down, less than 65 overs played out due to bad light this time. On multiple occasions, the players had to leave the field because the umpires didn’t seem the light fit enough for play.

A piece of forbidding news for the fans is that Day 3, Sunday won’t be a super Sunday with packed action – as the forecast is not all that bright again. The day temperature will be around 19 degrees Celsius, and the weather prediction says it will be ‘rather cloudy with a couple of showers’. The cloud cover will be at a high of 93% and there is a probability of thunderstorms too at 13%.

Kane Williamson And Virat Kohli, ICC World Test Championship Final, India, New Zealand
Kane Williamson And Virat Kohli (Image Credit: Twitter)

With no delivery being bowled on Day 1, the Reserve Day – Day 6, if you may – will certainly come into play. Interestingly, the weather on Day 6, Wednesday, June 23, is on the brighter side. So, the fans and the players can expect a result if the match goes to its final phase.

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India-New Zealand play out a highly contesting day

There was nothing unexpected that happened on Day 2 in the tightly-contested 64.4 overs of play. The two best Test teams provided a riveting contest to watch. Both India and New Zealand kept each other on their toes with little respite.

Kane Williamson won the toss and opt to bowl in pace-bowling friendly conditions; the ball moved significantly, both swing and seam movements were prodigious. However, the Indian batters had come prepared for such an elite challenge.

Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, both opening for the first time in England in Test cricket, played Tim Southee and Trent Boult, not just carefully, but also took the attack on the bad balls with a 62-run important opening stand before both were dismissed in quick succession by change-up pacers Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner.

Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli
Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli. (Credits: Twitter)

Cheteshwar Pujara being Cheteshwar Pujara shut his shop – the right-hander took 36 balls to get off the mark with a stylish cut boundary; he would hit another boundary before being trapped lbw by Boult.

But, that was that for New Zealand as captain Virat Kohli and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane saw off the next 24 overs to take India home safely unscathed further. Despite the frequent stoppages in play due to bad light, and some plays and misses, Kohli’s Zen-like mental state rarely unsettled. On the other end, Rahane calmly batted in his groove, under Kohli’s shade, where all the attention of the Kiwi bowlers houses in.

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Score at Stumps on Day 2: India – 146/3, Kohli -44 (124), Rahane – 29 (79).

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