World Test Championship final likely to be shifted out of Lord's
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly planning to move World Test Championship final out of the Lord's Cricket Ground.
India qualified for the final of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) after defeating England by an innings and 25 runs in the fourth Test in Ahmedabad on Saturday. India required a draw or a win to make it to the summit clash and qualified comfortably after a thumping victory against Joe Root's men in the final Test of the four-match series.
As India gear up to face New Zealand in the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship, it has emerged that the summit clash might be moved out of the Lord's Cricket Stadium. Lord's was the venue scheduled to host the final but it could miss out on hosting the all-important game owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
As per a report in the Times of India, the ongoing pandemic has prompted ICC to look for an alternate venue for the WTC final which is all set to take place in June later this year.
"The venue will be announced soon. Lord's is not the venue ICC is planning for. ICC will be advised by the England and Wales Cricket Board and its own medical health professionals to decide on the venue for the final. There could be a case of creating a similar bio-bubble as the ECB had for the last home summer," an ICC source was quoted as saying by Times of India.
It remains to be seen which venue will be finalised for the much-awaited clash if the game is moved out of Lord's. England had hosted Pakistan and West Indies successfully at home last year while creating bio-secure bubbles at the venues. ICC will be advised by the England Cricket Board (ECB) on the matter before a final call is taken on the venue for the WTC final.
India finished the World Test Championship as the most successful side with 12 wins, 4 defeats, and 1 draw from a total of 17 matches. They won series against the likes of Australia, England, and Bangladesh among others to make it to the final of the showpiece event.
India are currently the number one ranked side in the ICC Test rankings while New Zealand are at the second spot. The top two ranked sides will lock horns in what promises to be a cracker of a final.
