Play abandoned at the Ageas Bowl on day one of Test Championship final
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JUNE 18: A member of the groundstaff empty's water from the covers as play is delayed on Day 1 of the ICC World Test Championship Final between India and New Zealand at The Hampshire Bowl on June 18, 2021 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Day one of the inaugural World Test Championship final was abandoned without a ball bowled as both India and New Zealand were beaten by the weather in Southampton.
After two years of qualifying and many more of planning, the showpiece event got off to the quietest possible start, as relentless rain hammered the Ageas Bowl.
The morning session was quickly wiped out and while a small proportion of the limited 4,000 crowd hung around in the hope of seeing some action as the day progressed, there was never any realistic hope of play.
The inevitable decision was made by umpires Michael Gough and Richard Illingworth at 2.48pm, with the players set to reconvene on Saturday morning.
A reserve day has been built into the planning of the event but a decision on whether or not to activate the extra time will be made later in the match depending on how much additional time is lost.