New Zealand 101 for 2 wickets (Conway 54, Latham 30) India trail by 217 by 116 runs
Incessant rain allowed no play on the fourth day of the World Test Championship (WTC) final, leaving India and New Zealand with a maximum of 196 overs - including a reserve day - to identify an outright winner. In case of a draw, the inaugural WTC will have joint winners who will share the prize money and trophy.
With both sides having completed their first innings, the draw has become a more favored result, with only 141.2 overs possible in the first four days. However, the difficulty of batting on this pitch still gives the teams a chance to claim victory.
As it stands, New Zealand are 116 behind India's first-innings score of 217, with eight wickets in hand, after India were bowled out in the second day, washed out after the entire first day. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor are on the wicket with Devon Conway's lone half-centuries of the match falling minutes before the third day's play was cut short by bad light.
All eyes are now on the forecast for the last two days of the Test. The BBC has predicted nothing but light showers early in the morning on Tuesday and clear sunshine on Wednesday. AccuWeather forecasts cloudy sky on Tuesday and "partly cloudy to sunny" Wednesday.
As in the last days of the Test in England, the ICC will cut ticket prices on Reserve Day. PTI reported that the highest price category - which costs GBP 150 - will be available for GBP 100 on the sixth day. Prices for the other two categories will be reduced from GBP 100 and GBP 75 to GBP 75 and GBP 50. Fans who had tickets for the first and fourth days - the complete washout, which is to be refunded - will go to the first ticket, and the remainder will be open to fans who completely missed the ticket ballot for the Test.
Reserve day became available when more than 150 minutes of play were lost on day one, but given how tough the conditions were on days two and three, there was a good chance it might not have been needed. The fourth day's rain has ensured everyone but the final will go into the sixth day. In such a situation, the umpire will make a formal announcement of the sixth day 60 minutes before the end of the fifth day.