India will take on New Zealand in the final of the WTC 2021. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has clarified the follow-on and other rules for the WTC final
The final of the ICC World Test Championship will be played between India and New Zealand starting 18th of June. ICC has already announced the playing conditions for the WTC final earlier. Rules like the umpire’s call were tweaked for the inaugural final World Test Championship.
Many other rules and playing conditions were announced. There is a reserve day in case of overs are lost in the first 5 days. The third umpire will monitor the “short-run” as well along with the front foot “no ball”. Also, the fielding captain or the dismissed batsman can confirm with the umpires that if they actually attempted the shot or not before taking the DRS.
WTC Final Rules: Follow-On Rule For WTC Final 2021
Other than these set of rules and playing conditions ICC announced or rather clarified the follow-on rule for the WTC final. ICC announced that the follow-on mark will remain 200 runs and it won’t be reduced even if one or two days are completely washed out. So there won’t be any reduction in the follow-on mark even the WTC final is reduced to three or four days.
A team needs a minimum of 200 run lead to impose the follow-on on the opposition. But if the first day is washed out completely. And the test is reduced to 3 or 4 days the follow-on mark gets reduced to 150 runs.
Clause 14 of ICC paying conditions which applied in the league stages of the world test championship states that. “14.1.1: The side which bats first and leads by at least 200 runs shall have the option of requiring the other side to follow their innings. 14.1.2: The same option shall be available in matches of shorter duration with the minimum leads as follows: 150 runs in a match of 3 or 4 days; 100 runs in a 2-day match; 75 runs in a 1-day match”.
But it won’t be applied for the WTC final even if the first day is washed out completely as there’s a reserve day to ensure the recovery of overs loss.
Clause 14.3 states that. “If no play takes place on the first and second days of the match, clause 14.1 shall apply in accordance with the number of days remaining (including the scheduled Reserve Day) from the start of play. The day on which play first commences shall count as a whole day for this purpose, irrespective of the time at which play starts. Play will have taken place as soon as, after the call of Play, the first over has started.”
This will be the case in the World Test Championship Final 2021 between India and New Zealand.
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