- The World Test Championship Final contest between the two top teams in India and New Zealand is concluded as the Black Caps romped home with a comfortable margin of eight wickets in a rain-truncated match at Southampton, England. The top-quality composition of both the teams made the contest extremely intriguing and the battle between the bat and the ball was mesmerizing, to say the least. Of course, New Zealand may have been crowned as the Test Champions by winning the match eventually, but India did not lose badly either providing glimpses of what they can offer vis-à-vis real context to the game. Team India can take pride in the fact that throughout the Test Championship cycle, they were outstanding in all departments of the game.
PC: LACHLAN MCKIRDY
- Team Kiwis is always considered as a nice set of blokes who are not only gentlemanly on the field but also off the field as well. They play percentage brand of cricket and are no less competitive in terms of executing skills while taking on the might of the opposing teams. They were desperately searching for an International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy after enduring disappointments in the successive 50 overs World Cups. This win would surely act as a balm to those Kiwi players and fans alike for having come so near and yet deprived of laying their hands on the coveted 50 World Cup of 2019. None of the cricket-loving enthusiasts would grudge for the Kiwi victory and mind you, they deserve to hold aloft the mace. Many congratulations to them!
- So where did Team India go wrong in crossing the hurdle which they were expected to conquer fighting, if not comfortably? Consistent batting from the top order has been disappointing for quite some time now and it is here that Team India was badly let down yet again. Scores of 217 and 170 in any Test match would be grossly insufficient removing the team from the contest itself. Big guns like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ajinkya Rahane could not press ahead with starts significantly contributed to the low scoring. It is a matter of concern, though the Team Management would not admit yet, the excruciatingly slow scoring rate of Pujara is also increasingly coming under the telescope failing to further the cause of the batting unit.
PC: Chetan Narula
- Consuming deliveries is an art in the longer format of cricket, but not rotating the strike is an equally unacceptable lacuna placing the team in an adverse situation often. The bowling unit is performing spectacularly and consistently, especially the pace department, but going ahead with two spinners in conditions most suitable for pace bowlers was an avoidable mistake. Long summer awaits Team India before the grueling five-Test match series against England commences next month. Here, Team India needs to quickly address those areas of concern before freezing on a compact plan to take on the host nation. Any chinks in the armoury will be brutally exposed by Team England. Team India has the wherewithal to regroup, recover, and deliver.
