New Zealand and India head into overtime with draw still favourite

The World Test Championship is taking place in Southampton

New Zealand and India’s battle to be crowned as Test cricket’s first ‘world champions’ will go to a sixth day, but things will still need to happen in a hurry to avoid the inaugural final ending in a draw.

With ‘timeless Tests’ a thing of the past, the last time a Test match was allowed to stretch beyond a fifth day came during Australia’s Super Series against a World XI in 2005. But the International Cricket Council activated the option of a reserve day after this flagship contest at the Ageas Bowl was beset by two washouts and bad light.

The game made some much-needed progress on Tuesday, with New Zealand bowled out for 249 before India cleared a 32-run deficit to finish on 64 for two, but with a maximum of 98 overs left a shared title remains firmly in play.

Published: 22/06/2021 by Radio NewsHub