Day one of World Test Championship final abandoned due to relentless rain

Day one of the inaugural World Test Championship final was abandoned without a ball bowled as both India and New Zealand were beaten by the weather in Southampton.

After two years of qualifying and many more of planning, the showpiece event got off to the quietest possible start, as relentless rain hammered the Ageas Bowl.

The morning session was quickly wiped out and while a small proportion of the limited 4,000 crowd hung around in the hope of seeing some action as the day progressed, there was never any realistic hope of play.

The inevitable decision was made by umpires Michael Gough and Richard Illingworth at 2.48pm, with the players set to reconvene on Saturday morning.

A reserve day has been built into the planning of the event but a decision on whether or not to activate the extra time will be made later in the match depending on how much additional time is lost.

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