In a rain-affected affair, New Zealand took the better of India at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton to lift the mace of the inaugural edition of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). This is the first ICC trophy for the Kiwis in their cricketing history.
Prior to this all-important clash, both these teams had to taste defeats the last time they featured in their respective ICC trophy final. Coincidently, both those incidents took place in England. The Kiwis suffered a loss by the barest margin against England at Lord’s in the World Cup 2019 finale, and the men in blue got outplayed by a rejuvenated Pakistan side at The Oval in the Champions Trophy 2017 finale. Quite understandably, both the teams had to have their work cut out to change their fortune on English soil.
Amidst all the hype and expectation, the first four days of the most anticipated encounter of the year were all doom and gloom – nothing but a cycle of rain, bad light, super sopper, and a little bit of cricket. Only a total of 141.1 overs were played in that period with the first and fourth day being complete washouts. India batted first and was at 146/3 at the end of day two.
However, they suffered a collapse losing the remaining 7 wickets for 67 runs only in the next morning to get bundled out at a below-par score of 217. Kyle Jamieson registered his fifth five-wicket-haul, second against India, in only eight matches. At the end of day three, New Zealand, in reply, were in a reasonably comfortable position at 101/2.
After day four being washed out, the test was thought to be going towards a draw. However, Indian fast bowlers had other ideas. Like India, New Zealand also suffered a collapse – from 117/2 to 135/5. But a gutsy knock from the skipper Kane Williamson along with a couple of contributions from the tail ensured them a lead of 32 runs. The game then moved to day 6, the dedicated reserve day for this game. And, India once again got knocked over at 170 by the Kiwi pacers, setting a target of 139.
Chasing that small target never appeared to be a problem for the Kiwis. Although Ashwin picked up the openers, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, shouldered the responsibility to ensure no more hiccups and get their nation over the line. It also extended India’s drought of an ICC trophy since the victory in the Champions Trophy in 2013.
Before this test match, Kane Williamson played 10 innings in England and scored 261 runs at an average of a mere 26.1 (career average 53.95). And in the post-pandemic period, Ross Taylor played 9 innings overall to score 268 runs at 38.28 on average (career average 45.84). Moreover, he has been susceptible to getting pinned on the leg in front of the stumps of late. However, despite their individual challenges, they managed to stitch a partnership when it mattered the most.
On the other hand, as for the youngsters, the dream run for Devon Conway and Kyle Jamieson continues. After an unforgettable debut against England with a double ton earlier this summer, the opener scored a crucial half-century in the first innings of this low-scoring affair that witnessed only two fifties. And the 6’ 8’’ tall fast bowler was adjudged Player of the Final for his seven vital scalps – including Kohli twice and Rohit, Pujara, and Pant once, and his cameo at the tail of NZ’s first innings.
Whether the final should be a one-off encounter or a three-match series has been a bone of contention with ICC and cricket experts having varying opinions. After losing the final, Virat Kohli too has ended up adding fuel to fire saying,
“I'm 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 into the series or totally blow away the other team.”
However, despite a few controversies here and there, this edition of WTC has proved its worth to be the flagbearer of the revival of test cricket.
Tanvir Ahmed is currently studying at the Institute of Business Administration, the University of Dhaka.
