WTC Final: Frustrated fans come up with hilarious memes after rain spoils first session on Day 1

Play was scheduled to start at 3 PM IST.

By Aditya Gajanan Kukalyekar verified

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3 Min Read

Ageas Bowl
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Ageas Bowl. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The much awaited World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and New Zealand was expected to get underway by now in Southampton. But the wet weather in the lead up to the Test had left the organisers and the fans worried. And the worst fears of everyone came true on Friday morning when the rain gods didn’t relent and it kept raining even as the start time of the toss arrived.

Rather 20 minutes before the scheduled time of the toss, it was announced that the first session of Day 1 has been washed out. The weather for the rest of the day isn’t promising either. While experts are hoping for the rain to relent in the afternoon, it remains to be seen if the Ageas Bowl, the venue for the historic final, will be ready for play having witnessed so much rain over the last 24 hours.

This has also raised the debate if the ICC should’ve shifted the final beforehand knowing that it rains most of the times during the summer in England. Interestingly, this is also the first time Southampton is hosting a Test match in June since 2011. However, ICC can’t be faulted for this either as last week, it was very much dry and the temperature was 30 Degrees Celsius in the city.

Should India change the playing XI?

Meanwhile, India announced the playing XI almost a day before the final. They opted for two spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin despite the wet weather. The three seamers in the line-up are Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. Interestingly, these five players have been looking after India’s bowling attack over the last two years or so. But all of them will be playing together for the first time in Tests.

Given the overcast conditions in Southampton currently, many are even thinking if India should change their playing XI and opt for an extra batsman or a pacer by dropping a spinner. However, that is unlikely to happen as Ravindra Jadeja is a much better batsman now and the team bats deep anyway with Ashwin scoring a century only three Test matches ago.

In the meantime, the fans are irritated with the rain once again playing spoilsport in an ICC event knockout. It was the World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand when the rain arrived at the wrong time and the game had to shifted to the reserve day. Everyone is aware what transpired later.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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