The 2019-21 cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) final was a rain-marred fixture, headlined by the entire opening day resulting in a washout. The final between India and New Zealand in Southampton did go to the reserve day, as the latter ended up winning by eight wickets and becoming the inaugural Test champions.
However, the upcoming final between India and Australia has promising weather conditions in London. The decider of the tournament will take place at The Kennington Oval, which is one of the oldest cricket grounds in the world. The weather conditions look promising enough in London for the final to take place largely uninterrupted by lengthy delays.
According to Accuweather, the chances of rain are nil on the first three days of the decider, with the temperature slated to reach a high of 23 degrees. The probability of thunderstorms starts on day four as there are 26% chances of showers in days four and five, with the temperatures hovering between 25-27 degrees. Hence, the reserve day is yet again likely to come into play this time. The forecast for the reserve day says there will be some rain in the morning.
Rohit Sharma insists teams must play consistent cricket to reach WTC final:
Ahead of the final, Indian captain Rohit Sharma remarked that teams need to play consistently to reach the summit clash of the WTC final and feels India have done the same. The opener also conceded how exciting it is to face Australia, given the history the two teams share. As quoted by the ICC, he stated:
"Overall, if you look at the consistent cricket that we played, we displayed good cricket all around. It's a very tough tournament. We've got to play consistent cricket throughout the couple of years to get here. You need all the departments to do well for you. And I thought our strength really has been all three departments. It's not just the two or three years of rivalry. There's so much history behind the two teams taking on each other. So that is what makes it more exciting, not just for the players but also for the people who are watching from all parts of the world."
Australian captain Pat Cummins issued a major update on their playing eleven as Scott Boland pipped Michael Neser for a spot.
