Uncompromisingly persistent rain made sure that, for the third time in as many tests in the English summer, an entire day of test cricket was abandoned without a ball having been bowled.

The umpires decided that there was no point in waiting, and officially abandoned just before 15:00 BST.

There is some irony in the sense that on the longest day of the year, not a single ball was able to be bowled due to poor weather, and the light has not been great either.

Just 141.1 overs have been bowled in the match up to now, with New Zealand currently 101-2, trailing India by 116 runs.

Two days of play remain possible thanks to the reserve day put in place by the ICC, but a draw must now be the most likely result.

2 years, and the title will be shared, and the (fee paying) cricketing world misses out on the high class cricket that was promised by the ICC.

How can this issue be resolved?

There are a few things that can be changed to reduce the chances of rain and poor light trumping the best cricket teams in the world.

Firstly, how about we have a elongated window in which a game can be played, especially if you are in a country where rain is prevalent.

Infeasible for every test due to time constraints, yes, however not for the ‘Ultimate Test’, surely it is worth the hassle.

Secondly, there is lots that can be done to improve over rate. This would mean more cricket is played in the time available, if there has to be a limit on the length of play. 

In an international game that is becoming saturated with millionaires, the ICC should look at inflicting game sanctions rather than fiscal sanctions.

Does Joe Root care if he loses 10% of his match fee if his slow overrate means they secure a draw? No, but he would if the opposition was handed a certain number of penalty runs per over missed.

Finally, they could consider being more flexible in using a pink ball during the tests, allowing them to adapt the days play into the night should that be the only option to play the full game. This would also eliminate the need to go off for bad light, saving further time.

Whatever the solution, the cricket world deserves better than the ‘Ultimate Test’ ending in a draw if at all possible. A lot can be done, but let's just hope that it is indeed done.