New Zealand 101 for 2 (Conway 54, Latham 30) trail India 217 by 116 runs
Persistent rain allowed no play on day four of the World Test Championship (WTC) final, leaving India and New Zealand a maximum of 196 overs - including the reserve day - to identify an outright winner. In case of a draw, the inaugural WTC will have joint winners who will share the award money and the trophy.
The draw has become a more favoured result with the first innings of both sides yet to be completed, with only 141.2 overs possible on the first four days. However, the degree of difficulty of batting on this pitch still leaves the teams a chance to claim the win.
As it stands, New Zealand are 116 behind India's first-innings score of 217 with eight wickets in hand after putting India in on day two, after the whole first day had been washed out. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor are at the wicket with the only half-centurion of the match, Devon Conway, falling minutes before the third day's play was cut short by bad light.
All eyes are now on the forecast for the last two days of the Test. BBC has predicted nothing more than a gentle early-morning shower on Tuesday and a clear sunny day on Wednesday. Accuweather has forecast a cloudy day with the odd shower on Tuesday and a "sunny to partly cloudy" Wednesday.
As is the practice with last days of Tests in England, the ICC will cut down the prices for the tickets on the reserve day. PTI reported that the highest-priced category - priced at GBP 150 - will be available for GBP 100 for the sixth day. The prices for the other two categories will go down from GBP 100 and GBP 75 to GBP 75 and GBP 50. Fans who had tickets for days one and four - the complete washouts, which stand to be refunded - will have first go at the tickets, and the remainder will be open to fans who missed out overall in the ticket ballot for the Test.
The reserve day had become available the moment more than 150 minutes of play were lost on day one, but looking at how difficult the conditions were on days two and three, there had been a good chance it might not be needed. The rain on day four has all but made sure the final will go into day six. In such a case, the umpires will formally announce the sixth day 60 minutes before the close on day five.
