No change will be made to the follow-on rule if the first day’s play is washed out completely in the India-New Zealand World Test Championship final, the ICC clarified on Sunday.
Less than two weeks before the highly-anticipated encounter, the governing body confirmed that the play lost on Day 1 will have no bearing on the follow-on rule.
The follow-on margin is reduced to 150 runs if a normal five-day Test is reduced to four days right at the beginning, according to clause 14.1.1 of the ICC playing conditions.
Clause 14.3 pertinent to the same, states: “If no play takes place on the first and second days of the match, clause 14.1 shall apply in accordance with the number of days remaining (including the scheduled Reserve Day) from the start of play.
“The day on which play first commences shall count as a whole day for this purpose, irrespective of the time at which play starts. Play will have taken place as soon as, after the call of play, the first over has started.”
Cricbuzz reported the ICC tweaked the playing conditions for the final and conveyed to the teams that clause 14.3 has been “amended” for their clash since there is a reserve day.
“So that the first innings lead of at least 200 runs will only change to 150 runs if no play takes place on the first and second scheduled days of the match.”
India and New Zealand, the top two teams from the inaugural two-year cycle of the nine-team WTC league competition, will lock horns for the title in Southampton from June 18-22. The reserve day accorded to the final is scheduled for the 23rd, which will be in play if overs lost aren’t made up in the first five days through normal provisions of making up overs and time.
