WTC Final: New Zealand overcome Indian challenge to become inaugural World Test Champions
The New Zealand cricket team experienced unprecedented joy today, as they were crowned as the undisputed world champions of the longest format of the game. The Kane Williamson-led side beat the Virat Kohli’s men in the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) Final in Southampton with eight wickets to spare.
India batted first and scored 217 in their first innings. Indian skipper Virat Kohli and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane were the main contributors with the willow. While Kohli scored a 132-ball 44, Rahane scored a sedate 49. Kyle Jamieson was the star with the ball for the Kiwis and scalped a five-wicket haul in the first innings. New Zealand replied with a total of 249 in their first innings, with Devon Conway scoring a half-century.
In the second innings, the Indian side produced a disappointing performance with the bat and were bowled out for just 170 runs. Tim Southee was the chief destroyer of the Indian side with the red cherry in hand and scalped 4 wickets. Jamieson also chipped in with the key wickets of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. Rishabh Pant tried his best with a fighting knock of 41.
New Zealand were set a target of 139 for victory, and they went past the finish line with ease and won the match comfortably. R Ashwin claimed two wickets to keep India in the hunt, however, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor did not give India any opportunity. The experienced pair then took the Blackcaps over the winning line.
Top Performers from the Match
Kyle Jamieson
Kyle Jamieson was the star performer with the red cherry in the World Test Championship final. He picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings to help New Zealand restrict India to a total of under 250. In the 2nd innings too, he scalped the two big wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli to finish the match with a total of 7 wickets.
Kane Williamson
On the batting front, Kane Williamson was the star performer of the match. In challenging conditions for batting, Williamson applied himself with the willow. While he scored a patient 49 off 177 deliveries in the first innings for the Kiwis, he played a crucial role in the second innings as well and scored an unbeaten 52 to steer his side to victory.
Major milestones and records
1.Ravichandran Ashwin went past Pat Cummins to emerge as the highest wicket-taker in the World Test Championship. Ashwin finished with a tally of 71 wickets, while Pat Cummins took 70 wickets in the WTC.
2.Jasprit Bumrah scored a zero for India in both innings. And with his duck in the second innings, Bumrah scored the 1000th duck for India in Test match cricket.
3.Ravichandran Ashwin scalped the wicket of Tom Latham in both the innings of the WTC Final. Ashwin has now dismissed Latham 6 times in Tests. Only Stuart Broad (8 times) has dismissed Latham more times than Ashwin.
What next for India and New Zealand?
The Indian side will next take on Sri Lanka in a limited-overs series in July consisting of 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is. This will be followed by a gruelling five-match Test series against England on England soil, starting on 4th August 2021. New Zealand do not have any confirmed series ahead as of now.
