By Ashis Ray

Ageas Bowl (Southampton), Jun 21 (IANS): Four days have elapsed in the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand. In other words, 360 overs were allocated to be bowled during this period. However, because of the heavy downpour at the venue during the match so far, as many as 218.5 of those overs have been lost to the weather.

While not formally announced yet -- and this will only be enacted on Tuesday -- extension of the Test to an unusual sixth day, which has been kept in reserve, is now veritably a foregone conclusion.

One has to be wary, for Monday's weather transpired to be much worse than the forecast. The prediction for the two remaining days, though, is better. It remains to be seen if they are enough to salvage a positive result.

The fourth day's play was abandoned on Monday without a ball being bowled due to persistent rain. The umpires waited for about five hours before calling off the day's play.