WTC Final Weather Forecast: Will it rain during the IND vs NZ Test Match in Southampton?

After weeks of extensive build-up, India and New Zealand will finally move into action mode when take each other on in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The match will take place at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, starting Friday (June 18, 2021).

India announced their playing XI for the WTC final on Thursday, ending days of suspense over the team combination. Virat Kohli's side have selected both first-choice spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Ishant Sharma’s experience won him a place over the equally-deserving Mohammed Siraj. The rest of the team was as expected by many with Hanuma Vihari missing out.

India have announced their playing XI for #WTC21 Final 👇 pic.twitter.com/tcNpY9o4hc

— ICC (@ICC) June 17, 2021

New Zealand announced their 15-member squad on Tuesday, but are yet to finalize their playing XI for the WTC final. With a settled unit, the only battle could be between Neil Wagner and Ajaz Patel for the final bowler's spot.

The sneak peek of the Southampton pitch for the WTC final given by Isa Guha revealed a green covering. It remains to be seen whether it will be trimmed.

Will weather hamper the WTC final?

Apart from team combinations and the pitch, the possible weather conditions during the match has been another matter of intense discussion. Here’s a look at the forecast for the India vs New Zealand WTC final.

Day 1: June 18

The forecast for Day 1 is not very promising. While the temperature will be around 16 degrees Celsius, rain is predicted during the day. There are also warnings for thunderstorms and the cloud cover is forecast to be a high 94%.

Day 2: June 19

The prediction is slightly better for Day 2 of the WTC final. Though a couple of rainy spells are expected in the afternoon, the sun is likely to shine for the rest of the day. The cloud cover is predicted to be much lower than Day 1 at 44% while the temperature will be around 19 degrees Celsius.

🤩#NewCoverPic | #WTC21 Final pic.twitter.com/F3EsrRM1Gh

— ICC (@ICC) June 17, 2021

Day 3: June 20

Rain is likely to have a bigger impact on Day 3 of the WTC final. The forecast predicts a cloudy day with intermittent spells of rain. A 77% cloud cover is expected while the temperature will be around 18 degrees Celsius.

Day 4: June 21

More rain is expected on Day 4 of the WTC final. The prediction is for "periods of rain," with a high cloud cover of 95%. The temperature during the day will be around 17 degrees Celsius.

Day 5: June 22

Predictions for Day 5 of the WTC final are better, but not entirely encouraging. It is expected to be “breezy in the morning" and "mostly cloudy with a couple of showers” during the day. Cloud cover is predicted to be at 76% while the temperature will approximately be 17 degrees Celsius.

Reserve Day: June 23

The forecast for the reserve day is quite promising. No rain has been predicted and the sun is expected to be out. The temperature will be around 19 degrees Celsius and cloud cover is predicted to be 70%.

Who will win WTC final if rain forces a draw or washout?

Given the weather forecast, there is a decent chance that the WTC final might not have a clear winner.

The ICC has already announced that the two teams will share the trophy in case the WTC final ends in a draw or a tie.

Their decision came in the wake of the heavy criticism the ICC received after the 2019 World Cup final. The summit clash between England and New Zealand at Lord’s ended in a tie after the second innings. Both teams proceeded to play out a Super Over, which also ended in a stalemate.

England were ultimately crowned champions on the basis of scoring more boundaries in the game than their Kiwi counterparts.