India vs New Zealand WTC Final Highlights: Play on Day 1 call off due to rain, wet outfield

Fielding coach Sridhar with a strong slip cordon

Ashwin can't wait for the action to begin

Ashwin with some weather updates from the Ageas Bowl

Jadeja is enjoying coffee; Ageas Bowl is under covers

The stage is set

Who will strike the winning pose?

CAPTAIN SPEAKS (NZ skipper Kane Williamson)

CAPTAIN SPEAKS (India skipper Virat Kohli)

India Playing XI: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami

India announced their playing XI on the eve of the match.

The teams have been training in Southampton over the past few days.

The weather forecast across all platforms shows heavy rain in Southampton today. In fact the really worrying part is that rain is forecast on all 5 days of the match and the sixth day, which the ICC has kept as a reserve day to guard against bad weather conditions. However, if a significant amount of time is lost due to rain, one extra day might not be enough to salvage what is a big ticket encounter.

Overcast conditions in Southampton are very likely to disrupt play on day one of the World Test Championship final today between India and New Zealand.

These are 'Gentlemen Cricketers' who have grown on the fans bit by bit with their cricket and their conduct. It's difficult not to love them, especially after their gut-wrenching World Cup defeat at the Lord's two summers back.

They are India's rivals but when Williamson hits those cover drives, Devon Conway teases a Ravichandran Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja, Trent Boult gets one banana inswinger aimed at Rohit Sharma's bootlaces, the crazy fans of a cricket-mad nation wouldn't possibly be able to hate them.

Williamson stands in his way with a bunch of fine cricketers and the most amiable set of players that one would come across in international cricket.

Kohli needs a global triumph. Every captain needs it but perhaps the Indian captain wants it more.

Lest one forgets, he has been a fine leader in his own right even though Mahendra Singh Dhoni may forever remain a sentimental favourite.

For Kohli, India's most successful Test captain, a trophy-less cabinet doesn't do justice to the champion performer that he has been for a decade.