Auckland June 24 :Kane Williamson & Co. scripted history at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton, as New Zealand became the first team to lift the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). The rain-affected WTC Final was continued on the Reserved Day (Day 6) with Team India resuming play at 64/2, but none of the batsmen could manage to play a long innings.
Chasing a tricky 139-run target in the World Test Championship final, New Zealand lost both its openers- Devon Conway and Tom Latham inside 40 runs.However, New Zealand’s two most experienced batsmen- Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor- held their nerves and pushed their nation over the line. For New Zealand, Kane Williamson remained unbeaten on 52, while Ross Taylor remained unbeaten on 47. Ross Taylor finished the match in style when he flicked Bumrah’s ball on his pads to deep square leg for a boundary. Notably, Ross Taylor was dropped early in his innings by Cheteshwar Pujara. On the other hand, Kane Williamson was dropped by Jasprit Bumrah. It is to be noted that this is the first time in New Zealand’s cricketing history that they have won an ICC trophy, 2 years after their heartbreak in the same country to England in the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant was top-scorer for India with his 41-run knock while Ravindra Jadeja (16), Ajinkya Rahane (15), and Mohammed Shami (13) chipped in with small contributions. India lost three batsmen in the morning session including skipper Virat Kohli (13), Chetehswar Pujara (15) and Rahane. Pant was dropped, when he was on 5, by Tim Southee off Jamieson. New Zealand began their chase with somewhat of an advantage in the WTC Final.
‘Pretty special feeling’ says Tim Southee
After the historic win, Tim Southee talking to the broadcasters said, “Sounds pretty good (tag of World Test Champions). Two years ago we started this journey. A lot of hard work goes into it. A pretty special moment. Word coming to mind is consistency – through selection and performances. Never giving up. There’s a lot of heart in this side. Dates back a lot further than the last couple of years. Pretty special feeling. The change room’s a lot calmer knowing we have two experienced guys in the middle. That was the longest 139 runs I’ve experienced. As any international sportsperson, you’re looking to get better, nothing different for me. Great group to be around. We said at the start of this tour to send him off on the right note (Watling – the Kiwi Wicket-Keeper who is retiring). What he’s given to the team – he’s given everything.”