The ICC World Test Championship final is heading for a thrilling finish, with the Indian team needing 280 runs to beat Australia and clinch the title for the first time in history. However, the Aussies remain in the driving seat, having given India a 'record' target of 444 runs. However, it doesn't look like the title will be decided only through the battle between the bat and the ball. As far as the weather is concerned at the Oval in London, rain and thunderstorms are expected to disrupt the proceedings.
The chances of rain are the highest during the afternoon and they decrease in the evening and night. In all likelihood, the WTC final between India and Australia will see rain interruption of some sort at the Oval on the 5th day.
What happens if rain plays spoilsport on Day 5?
A Reserve Day has been kept in case valuable playtime is lost over the course of the 5-day Test. However, on Day 5, play can be completed without heading into the Reserve Day if by extending the game time too. For example, if rain only impacts an hour of the game, the play time can be extended by the same duration.
But, in a case where rain prevents play for multiple hours, the game can be taken to the Reserve Day. In such a case, Day 6 will only consist of the time that was lost on Day 5.
If no team emerges as a winner and the match ends in a draw or tie even if the match heads into the Reserve Day, both Australia and India will be declared as joint-winners.