WTC Final: IND vs NZ Rain Update: Southampton weather today, June 18

After weeks of hype and excitement, the World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and New Zealand is all set to get underway. The clash of the top two Test teams will take place at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton from June 18-22. June 23 has been marked as a reserve day to make up for lost overs, if needed.

Team India have already named their playing XI for the WTC final. They went in with a combination of three pacers and two spinners. Both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have found a place in the team while India have gone for Ishant Sharma’s experience over Mohammed Siraj’s form.

New Zealand haven’t announced their playing XI for the WTC final as yet. However, with a more or less settled unit, the only tussle could be for a bowling spot between Neil Wagner and Ajaz Patel.

Former England cricketer Isa Guha recently shared a glimpse of the Southampton pitch for the WTC final, which revealed a green covering.

@mufaddal_vohra BhaiWeather ☁️ Update next 5 days in Southampton ....I feel very Sad 😭 Washout 💔 #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/nvc9gnoSLP

— Vedanshu Rawal (@Vedanshurawal22) June 18, 2021

Weather update for Day 1 of IND vs NZ WTC final

Apart from team strategies and pitch conditions, there has been plenty of discussion over the weather in Southampton for the WTC final.

A look at the forecast for Day 1 of the India vs New Zealand WTC final doesn’t make for pleasant reading as far as cricket fans are concerned. There is prediction for rain as well as warning for thunderstorms.

The cloud cover is forecast to be a high 94% while the temperature will be cool, at around 16 degrees Celsius.

The weather for the remaining four days of the India vs New Zealand WTC final is also not that promising, with consistent prediction of rain and persistent cloud cover.

What happens if rain forces a draw or no result in WTC final

Considering the weather forecast in Southampton and the unpredictable weather, there could be a chance that the India vs New Zealand WTC final might end in a draw or, in an extreme case, might be washed out.

According to the playing conditions announced by the ICC for the WTC final, if there is no clear winner, both India and the Black Caps will be declared joint champions.

The ICC was heavily criticized for naming England the winner of the 2019 World Cup despite the final (against New Zealand) as well as the Super Over ending in a tie.

"We've been on a quest for excellence for a while now, and we will continue to be on that path regardless of this game" 💪Hear what @imVkohli has to say as the start of the #WTC21 Final draws closer 🇮🇳#INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/XJs9WEWUqT

— ICC (@ICC) June 18, 2021

The general consensus was that neither side deserves to lose, but as per the tournament rule, England were named world champions on the basis of having scored more boundaries in the match.