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The gloomy weather updates for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in Southampton have drawn an equally glum response from the jocular former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer.
Known on Twitter for his hilarious memes and witty repartees, Wasim Jaffer on Monday posted Southampton's rainy weather update till 6 pm.
This was accompanied by a snippet of a verse from an old Lata Mangeshkar song, implying that India and New Zealand might have to accept a draw. The lyrics in the photo read:
"Baant lenge hum aadha aadha (We'll share half and half)"
Following two days of riveting cricket, Day 4 of the WTC final is all but set to be washed out. There's a high probability of downpours throughout the morning and afternoon, which won't cool off until after the stipulated time.
The summit clash has already lost its opening day to rain and has suffered constant interruptions due to showers and bad light. Monday's washout will only leave Day 5 and the reserve day on Wednesday for both teams to push for a win.
The only good news for fans at the moment is that the forecast for both days is fairly clear.
Can Wasim Jaffer's prediction come true?
Reaching a result other than a draw in just two days seems like a daunting task, but given how the WTC final has panned out so far, a win for either team cannot be ruled out just yet.
India took just over three sessions to get bowled out for 217 in the first innings. The middle-order couldn't build on the decent foundation laid by the openers because of the unremitting help for the fast bowlers.
In response, New Zealand also lost both their openers for 101 runs and now trail by 116.
The track has already developed footmarks, and R. Ashwin extracted some sharp turn and bounce off them on Sunday.
The pitch will only abrade more as the game progresses, and considering New Zealand have to bat last, their failure in taking a substantial lead in the first innings will put all three results on the table.
How long Kane Williamson and co. bat in the first dig will thus decide whether one team lays its hands on the trophy or, as Wasim Jaffer predicted, both.
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