The World Test Championship final is just fourteen days away from us. The preparations are in full swing for the marquee event to take place. There are some facts and things that the audience and the fans of both the teams should be well aware of. These are: –

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1) Venue for the match – Southampton

Everyone knows that the iconic test match is supposed to be played in Southampton, England. But the real reason why it was shifted from the home of cricket, Lord’s, to Southampton is still known to a very few. Since the Covid 19 Pandemic is still affecting the world, all the precautions need to be taken. The Southampton ground offers a connected hotel facility as well, which would make the number of interactions between the players minimal and help maintain the bio-bubble. This is the only reason why the first-ever World Test Championship Final is being played at Southampton.

2) Indian player in New Zealand squad

Rachin Ravindra is part of the New Zealand test squad for the two tests against England and the World Test Championship Final against India. Many people don’t know about the fact that he is of Indian origin. His parents are from India and moved to Wellington, New Zealand, before his birth. Ravindra used to go to India regularly to play cricket in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. It would be interesting to see if he makes his long-awaited debut against the country of his origin.

3) Ball-type to be used – Dukes

The iconic Dukes Ball will be used for the World Test Championship Final between India and New Zealand. The ball does most of the talking in green pitches in England, and bowlers would be hoping to get the hang of the ball and the batsman from the start. The Dukes Ball swings slightly more than the other balls used in different regions and countries. It remains to be seen if this ball will do the talking or not.

4) What if the match ends in a draw?

As everyone knows, even after five days of proper test match cricket, it so happens that a winner can’t be found. If such a thing happens in the World Test Championship Final between India and New Zealand, both will be declared joint winners instead of one. If rain interrupts play and even so bad a light for most of the test match, then the reserve day (sixth day) will also be used to determine the winner. But the condition is that it will only happen if rain or bad light interrupts play, nothing else.

These are some of the facts that have remained under the radar and the facts that the fans and the audience needed to know about.