First 10-15 overs on the final day proved fatal for India, summarises Sachin Tendulkar
India lost the one-off World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton by eight wickets. The sixth day, provided as the reserve day, proved decisive in the epic clash as the Blackcaps seized the initiative and claimed the Test mace. India’s legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar spoke in detail about the game and discussed various aspects of the final. He has posted his analysis in snippets from his official YouTube channel.
Playing out the first 10-15 overs on the final day was critical
India conceded a 32-run trail on basis of the first innings. They commenced the final day on a score of 64/2 with both their openers back in the hut. The onus was on India’s best Test batsmen, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, to guide India to safety. However, Kyle Jamieson dismissed both of them in quick succession and the Test turned on its head.
Tendulkar felt that had India negotiated the first 10-15 overs safely, they would have batted with a different mindset and would have put pressure back on the Kiwis. However, New Zealand sent back both Kohli and Pujara within the first eight overs. Rishabh Pant attempted batting with an aggressive approach and got to 41 before handing out a high catch. The rest of the Indian batsmen fell cheaply and the opposition pounced on the opportunity.
Kane Williamson has an excellent temperament
Set 139 runs to win the Test, the game was far from over. R Ashwin ignited Indian hopes with the wickets of New Zealand openers. However, India failed to break through the partnership of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor. Williamson struck 52 not out to go with his 49 in the first innings. Taylor, 47 not out, hit the winnings runs. Tendulkar spoke in all praise of the New Zealand skipper. He also revealed how Williamson was able to bring the best out of his seasoned partner, Taylor.
Jamieson will become one of the leading all-rounders in world cricket
Jamieson impressed one and all with his all-round performance and the Master Blaster was no exception. Named as the Player of the Match in the WTC final, Jamieson took 5/31 and 2/30 with the ball to go with his knock of 21 runs from 16 balls. Tendulkar went on to say that the tall cricketer will soon become one of the leading all-rounders in world cricket. He explained the mechanics of how Jamieson executed his bowling variations against India and also what makes him a dangerous batsman.
Ravindra Jadeja was not underutilized
Post-defeat, a lot of Indian fans questioned the selection of Ravindra Jadeja in the playing XI and not giving him enough opportunities in the game. The left-arm spinner ended up bowling only 92 balls in the Test. Tendulkar explained that the bowling opportunities also depend on the pitch and weather conditions and also on the batsmen that are present at the crease. With so much rain around, Jadeja had to bowl less as compared to the pacers, according to the champion batsman.
Not pace and bounce but lateral movement challenges the batsman most
The pitch curator of The Rose Bowl, Southampton had warned about the pace and bounce of the wicket but Tendulkar revealed that it is the lateral movement that troubles the batsman more. When the ball starts swinging, every batsman is susceptible to edging deliveries and it applies to all batters equally, according to the batting legend.
Tendulkar, an extremely keen observer of the game, explained the crucial phases of play in the World Test Championship final and added his insights to reveal the challenges and how the cricketers tackled them.
The Indian Test team is next scheduled to play a five-match Test series against England which begins on 4th August. Meanwhile, the Indian limited-overs team shall face Sri Lanka in three ODIs and three T20Is starting from 13th July.
