World Test Champions - New Zealand

Bad loser Kohli calls for best of three next time

Potentially the best team to be the world test champions, Indians play good cricket. There is no doubt about it. But there comes a day when you are not at your best and lose. What do good guys do, simply accept it.

But not Virat Kohli, the Indian captain who, in a post match media shout called for a change to the format, asking for ‘Best of Three Test Matches’ finals in the next World Test Championship finals.

India lost to New Zealand by eight wickets, a comprehensive win by New Zealand and total defeat for India and its men, claiming to be cricket Gods.

This was the inaugural World Test Championship which started way back in 2019 with Australia – England’s Ashes Test Series reaching its fruition with the New Zealand win over India.

Originally approved by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2010, there were two failed attempts to play the inaugural championship in 2013 and 2017.

Nine Test playing nations had to play a Six Test series of between two and five matches. They would play three series each – at home and away, accruing points on a points table to reach the top two positions to qualify for the finals – final Test match between the top two teams.

After Australia cancelled their away series to be played in South Africa earlier in the year, New Zealand emerged as the first finalist team in the World Test Championship.

India qualified to be the second finalist team by defeating England 3-1 in their home Test Series.

The finals Test was scheduled to be played at Lord’s, but was moved to Rose Bowl in Southampton when the ground was made suitable to provide COVID safe bubble environment,

Preparations:

The Indian team as their preparation for the World Test Championship finals played a four-day intra-squad practice match between Captain Virat Kohli XI and Captain KL Rahul XI at the Rose Bowl while the New Zealand team played a two match Test series against England.

No excuses- NZ were brilliant

To meat India’s 217 and 170 scores of the two innings, the New Zealand managed 240 and an effortless 139 when skipper Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, took charge from 2-44 after the loss of their openers.

Taylor scored the winning runs hitting Mohammed Shami over midwicket. Taylor made 47 not out and Williamson was 52 not out.

Kane’s was the second half-century of the final of the tow half-centuries made in the finals. The first was also made by New Zealand’s Devon Conway.

From India, no one managed to score a half century. Ajinkya Rahane scored 49 in India’s first innings

“This is a very special feeling and one we haven’t had before, the first time we’ve come away with a world title,” Williamson said.

“It’s a special achievement and one that will be celebrated and remembered.

“For us, we know we don’t always have the stars, we rely on a few other bits and pieces to stay in games and be competitive. All results were on the table here, it was just great to see the heart our team showed to get across the line.”

Crumbling India perhaps equally deserving to become the world test champions,  and 2-64 overnight, were remarkably bowled out for 170 in its second innings before tea. That gave New Zealand a target of only 139 to win in an extended 53 overs.

“The changing room was a lot calmer knowing we had two experienced guys out there,” veteran bowler Tim Southee said.

“Probably the longest 139 runs I’ve experienced”, Tim Southee added.

Also read: Virat Kohli’s worst ever tour: 218 runs in 11 outings

Pondering over their loss, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli who would have liked to carry home the trophy of World Test Champions, was his usual self.

“They showed great consistency and heart to pull out a result … sticking to their processes to put us under pressure,” Kohli said.

And then came the bombshell, perhaps to the shock of the newly crowned world test champions:

“I am not in absolute agreement of deciding the best Test side in the world over the course of one game. If it is a Test series, it has to be a test of character over three Tests – which team has the ability to come back in the series, or totally blow away the other team. It can’t just be pressure applied over two days of good cricket and then you suddenly you are not a good Test side anymore. I don’t believe in it,” Kohli said.

“It has to be a hard grind and something that definitely needs to be worked around in the future. “At the end of three matches, where there’s effort, there’s ups and downs, there’s situations changing during the course of the series, a chance to rectify the things you have done in the first game, and then really see who is the better side over the course of a three-match series or something, will be a good measure of how things really are,” Kohli added.

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