WTC Final: This is the mother of all Test cricket battles
It’s Virat Kohli's aggressive Indians versus Kane Williamson’s cool Kiwis in the World Test Championship final in Southampton
Hyderabad: This is it! The guns are drawn. The arsenal is ready. The battlefield is perfectly set for the mother of all Test cricket duels. All the guiles, wiles and attrition are set to unfurl when the inaugural World Test Championship final begins at the neutral Southampton in England. Virat Kohli’s India and Kane Williamson’s New Zealand will fight for the top honours in the five-day marquee match of the longer format that will begin from Friday. The stakes are high, the expectations are soaring and the excitement is nerve-wracking. It will indeed be a battle of wits between an aggressive Kohli and a cool Williamson. They have marshalled their sides in their own inimitable styles taking their teams to the summit clash.
As VVS Laxman said, Kohli’s men deserved to be in the final as they were a force to reckon with in Test cricket, both in and outside India, for the last two years. New Zealand, on the other hand, were quietly efficient in their progress to the final. Being conducted amid the Covid-19 pandemic, this WTC final should be the fore-runner for such future tournaments. All these years we had white-ball and coloured clothing World Cups (both one-day and T20) and for the connoisseurs of the game, there will now be a traditional white-clothes and red-ball game final in the 144-year history. “It has brought new excitement to Test cricket. It is wonderful to see a white-dress and red-ball cricket final. The ICC should open a window for future WTC as Test cricket is the ultimate challenge to any cricketer,” said SL Venkatapathy Raju, former Test left-arm spinner.
To be one of the top-notch batsmen of the world and having one of the best records as Indian captain, Kohli would be eager to lay his hands on the well-crafted gorgeous WTC mace. As Laxman said, Kohli may have won many matches but India has not won any ICC Trophy (T20 or ODI) under his captaincy. “Surely he will be looking to add this one feather to his glittering cap by winning this trophy,” said Laxman. This team plays fearless cricket. Coach Ravi Shastri and his support staff have instilled a self-belief in the team. The back-to-back series win in Australia is a testimony to their fine achievements.
As Shastri has been repeatedly saying, it is not an overnight success. It is a result of hard work and long-term planning. This team oozes in confidence. They have worked hard on their way to this final and they are aware they cannot let go of this golden opportunity. That batting has come good in all conditions and this is the time to repeat those shows. The onus is on seasoned-campaigners Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. The ball will seam and swing. They play against a team that has world class bowlers in Trent Boult, canny Tim Southee and Neil Wagner. They were done in New Zealand conditions and also came a cropper in the last ODI World Cup two years ago in England.
It is revenge time and this time Shastri has some plans in place. Laxman stated that to succeed in England, the batsman should know where his off-stump is because the ball swings late and it does this throughout the day because of the weather conditions. “I would like Pujara to bat the way he does so often successfully. He can blunt the New Zealand attack,” said Laxman.
Rishabh Pant is the X-factor, according to Laxman. The pocket dynamo has been a sensation with the bat and his improved keeping has given a lot of smiles to the Indian team. Apart from their role as off spinner and left-arm spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravinder Jadeja bolster the batting. Ashwin has the guile and experience to be an important member. So is Jadeja, who is also a livewire on the field. But it is the presence of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd Shami and veteran Ishant Sharma, who can trouble any team in the world with their pace and swing.
But the battle-hardened New Zealand were a big success in the two Tests against England. Devon Convoy is the new batting sensation while Williamson, though out of form, has the ability to play long innings along with experienced Ross Taylor. Tom Latham has a good track record against India.
All in all, this WTC has all the ingredients of a pulsating tussle and the team that soaks the pressure will emerge champions.
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