Rain stops World Test Championship final again

SOUTHAMPTON: Rain once more interrupted the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand at Southampton, with a heavy downpour preventing any play before lunch on Monday's fourth day.

Overnight and early morning rain meant the pitch and square at Hampshire's headquarters remained fully covered when the match should have resumed at 10:30 am local time (0930 GMT).

In a match where rain saw the whole of Friday's opening day washed out without a ball bowled, there was now a strong possibility another full day's play could be abandoned completely.

Match referee Chris Broad, however, has a special dispensation to extend this final into a sixth day -- men's Tests usually only last a maximum of five days -- if he feels that will compensate for time lost in the game.

An absorbing day of high-quality cricket on Sunday, cut short by bad light despite the use of the Hampshire Bowl's floodlights, ended with New Zealand 101-2 in reply to India's first innings 217 -- a deficit of 116 runs.

New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson took an impressive 5-31 in 22 overs -- the towering paceman's fifth five-wicket haul in just eight career Tests.

Blackcaps opener Devon Conway fell for 54 two balls before the close.

It was his third score of over fifty in just five Test innings following the 29-year-old South Africa-born left-hander's stunning 200 on his debut against England at Lord's this month.

India, as New Zealand had done after winning the toss, bowled well in helpful conditions with fast bowler Ishant Sharma having figures of 1-19 in 12 overs at Sunday's close and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin 1-20 in 12.

This match, the culmination of the inaugural World Test Championship that has spanned two years of series between the leading Test nations, is worth $1.6 million to the winners and $800,000 to the runners-up.