Rain ensured that not a ball was bowled in Southampton on day four 4.07pm BST
One or two people have asked if the two sides might agree to add another reserve day, extending the game to a week. Something tells me it’s highly unlikely, a suspicion shared by a source who’s better placed to judge. But it’s got to be worth a try, and I sincerely hope the ICC is working on it.
That’s it from us. Thanks for your company and your correspondence, and thanks to too Adam Collins for shouldering more than his fair share of the burden of telling you what wasn’t happening, as it didn’t happen. We’ll be back at 10am
UK time tomorrow, praying for a prompt start at half-past. 3.35pm BST
So, after four days, we’ve had two wash-outs. And one of them on the longest day of the year, when not even
England is usually this damp. It’s a crying shame, and it means that there are only two days left to squeeze in two and a half innings.
The weather forecast, clearly toying with us, is now quite good. Mainly dry tomorrow, albeit as grey as a TV commentator’s tie; sunny spells on Wednesday, by which time it may be too late. So, say we get close to the theoretical maximum of 196 overs. NZ could bat for two sessions and a bit, abandon their inhibitions and aim for 350.
India would then go in again, 130 behind, with about 120 overs left.