Category: Sports

Winners of the inaugural World Test Championship and therefore the overall champions of cricket — indeed a scoop to savour for the Black Caps.,,,reports Ashis Ray

In the end no enterprise was needed on the part of either skipper to manufacture a result.

India folded up feebly; and this paved the way for a famous New Zealand victory in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC), their first triumph in an ICC event after their victory in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2000.

Winners of the inaugural World Test Championship and therefore the overall champions of cricket — indeed a scoop to savour for the Black Caps.

It was tight and tense till the conclusion. India had to remove the seasoned duo of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, who formed an association for the third wicket. Cheteshwar Pujara dropped the latter at first slip off an otherwise under-par Jasprit Bumrah.

Batting was difficult throughout the game; but New Zealand coped better under the circumstances. Thereby, India are yet to capture an ICC title under Virat Kohli’s captaincy.

Indeed, it boiled down to a red ball ODI; but a battle of attrition between bat and ball, not the slam-bang-wallop of white ball settings on surfaces favouring batsmen. Much depended on India’s celebrated upper-middle order as the Indians resumed on the 6th and final morning at 64 for 2. But the trio disappointed.

The 6’8″ Kyle Jamieson produced another penetrative spell. He beat Kohli twice outside the off-stump, then rapped him on the pads, before forcing him to play away from his body. Pujara was pushed on to the backfoot and compelled to negotiate a delivery, which, too, finished in the slips.

Ajinkya Rahane drove and pulled with assurance. But he was caught in two minds against a legside delivery which he edged to wicketkeeper B.J. Watling, who resiliently continued keeping even after dislocating his right ring finger later.

Rishab Pant lived dangerously. But he combined his airy-fairy strokes with some exquisite drives. The 23-year-old is undoubtedly talented; but he needs to cultivate technique and temperament. Reportedly feeling unwell, he gave way to Wriddhiman Saha with the gloves after Tea.

Whether the New Zealand pacers exploited the atmosphere and the pitch better than their Indian counterparts or there was less assistance in the mid-afternoon sun when India got their opportunity with the new ball, the latter were palpably not as effective.

New Zealand has a population of five million or 0.36 per cent of India’s. The country’s investment in cricket is negligible compared to the outlay in India. A David versus Goliath scenario. Yet, David, because of better utilisation of limited resources, slayed Goliath.

The Indian cricket side, on this special occasion delightfully kitted in traditional sweaters, are fortunate that almost wherever in the world they play, there’s no dearth of their supporters among the spectators.

They mushroomed carrying conch shells and blew them vigorously in the hope of resisting the evil spirits — as the superstitious do at times of earthquakes. But the plaintiff sound of wind instruments failed to impact on incisiveness of the New Zealand swing merchants.

Every time an Indian boundary uncoiled amid the clatter of wickets or a New Zealand batsman got out, the fans would discover their voices with fresh but forlorn shouts of “INDIA JEETEGA”.

For the first time in a week, the sun shone brightly out of a cloudless blue sky on Wednesday. The green outfield with patterned squares looked glorious. The elegant architecture of the modern facility resplendent. But the Indian batting disintegrated.

In six successive Test innings against New Zealand, Kohli’s team failed to cross 250; out of which they have four times been dismissed for less than 200. This underlines an inability to tackle movement in the air and off the seam.

Admittedly, the Black Caps enjoyed two advantages. English conditions are similar to New Zealand’s; and having played two Tests against England in the run-up to the WTC final, their preparation was perfect. But then India knew this.

Other than 1986, the first half of an English summer – and the month of June falls into this category – has invariably been Indian cricket’s Waterloo. In IANS’s preview of the WTC final, we had flagged whether it had been wise of India to abjure a warm-up engagement before such a priceless fixture.

How could BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, with his extensive background at the highest level of the game, have allowed the Indians to become lambs for slaughter?

Watching the match, former India spinner Dilip Doshi, who spent some 15 years playing county or league cricket in England, said: “For much of the game, the Indians looked like playing a practice match.”

(Senior cricket writer Ashis Ray is a broadcaster and author of the book ‘Cricket World Cup: The Indian Challenge’)

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This is an apt redemption for New Zealand, who had lost the final of the last two 50-over World Cups, in 2015 and 2019….reports Asian Lite News

New Zealand coasted to an unlikely eight-wicket win on the sixth — and reserve — day of the World Test Championship final against India at the Hampshire Bowl on Wednesday.

This is an apt redemption for New Zealand, who had lost the final of the last two 50-over World Cups, in 2015 and 2019.

The match, in which two days were lost to rain, saw a strong performance from Kiwis on the reserve day as their bowlers ran through the Indian batting line-up and dismissed them for just 170 runs. And then they scaled the 139-run target through a 96-run third-wicket partnership between Kane Williamson (52 not out) and Ross Taylor (47 not out).

India got a sniff of victory when off-spinner R Ashwin removed the two openers early and bowled a tight line to Taylor. However, Taylor smashed Ashwin for two boundaries in one over to break the shackles and then coasted along.

Earlier, India, who started the day at 64/2, lost three wickets — skipper Virat Kohli (13), Cheteshwar Pujara (15), and Ajinkya Rahane (15) — in the first session to go to lunch at 130/5.

Kyle Jamieson (2/30) removed Kohli and Pujara while Rahane fell to Boult (3/39).

Post lunch, India kept losing wickets as the tail failed to wag once again. Rishabh Pant, who was the innings top scorer with 41 runs, was the last hope for India but he fell to a rash shot as the seventh wicket with the score on 156.

Pace bowler Tim Southee picked four wickets for 48 runs to end as the most successful New Zealand bowler.

Indian seamers, in response, failed to make an impact on a pitch where New Zealand bowlers looked unplayable. Barring a brief spell during which Ashwin unsettled the Kiwis by removing Devon Conway (19) and Tom Latham (9), the entire bowling unit looked innocuous.

This is New Zealand’s sixth successive win over India in ICC tournaments, dating back to World T20 in 2007.

Brief scores: India 217 all out in 92.1 overs and 170 all out in 73 overs (R Sharma 30, R Pant 41, T Southee 4/48, T Boult 3/39, K Jamieson 2/30); New Zealand 249 all out in 99.2 overs and 140/2 wkts in 45.5 overs (K Williamson 52 not out, R Taylor 47 not out)

ALSO READ: WTC final: India bowled out for 170, NZ need 139 to win

An Indian collapse in the 2nd innings would, of course, open the door for New Zealand. Indeed, an assignment below 200 should be within the Kiwis’ grasp. India will, though, probably lower the shutters, if they lose vital wickets… reports Ashis Ray

Theoretically, either India or New Zealand could still force victory in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship — labelled as “The Ultimate Test” by the governors of the game, the International Cricket Council.

If the sun, which finally appeared in a reasonable manner on the 5th day on Tuesday, continues to pierce the clouds on 6th and final day (which had fortunately been kept in reserve), batting conditions should become easier. But that means even if this facilitates India to set a sporting target, it is difficult to visualise them bundling out New Zealand on effectively the same wicket.

The surface is unlikely to dramatically convert itself into a turner, no longer conspiring with the quicker bowlers. India undoubtedly possess the firepower in their batting to cut loose. At the same time, it would be foolish to be reckless in such an apex encounter.

An Indian collapse in the 2nd innings would, of course, open the door for New Zealand. Indeed, an assignment below 200 should be within the Kiwis’ grasp. India will, though, probably lower the shutters, if they lose vital wickets.

New Zealand’s inability to score at an acceptable rate in the morning session made an already daunting task of extricating a result that much harder. The Indian bowling was accurate, but not unplayable. Boundaries were difficult to contrive; but the singles and twos that were available were not availed of.

The Black Caps added a paltry 34 runs in 24 overs. Kane Williamson, the mainstay of their batting, produced only seven runs off 75 balls. They lost three wickets as well.

Ross Taylor failed to check a drive — perhaps surprised by the bounce — which went uppishly to mid-off, where Shubman Gill took a superb low catch diving forward.

Henry Nicholls edged an inswinger from Ishant Sharma, which to the left-handed batsman was an outswinger. And Mohammed Shami picked up his second wicket of the morning with the ball of the innings, which spreadeagled B.J. Watling’s middle and off stumps.

Shami’s fiery spell was further rewarded when he trapped Colin de Grandhomme leg before wicket with an incoming ball and then induced a hook from Kyle Jamieson to apply curtains to an attacking cameo. Both New Zealanders lacked the technique to defend on a pitch with a tendency to produce wicket-taking balls.

Williamson was more purposeful after lunch. But he was saved by an “umpire’s call” when an appeal for lbw by the persevering Shami, referred to the TV umpire, was adjudged as hitting the outer side of off-stump and not more centrally.

Having been thus reprieved, the New Zealand captain rather uncharacteristically played away from his body off the back foot to virtually present a practice catch to his opposite number Virat Kohli at second slip; Ishant being the beneficiary.

By now, though, New Zealand had taken a slender 1st innings lead, which with a few lusty blows from Tim Southee was stretched to 32. An unworrying deficit, given the fact that India had to cope with the more challenging task of batting first on a fresh wicket and mostly under cloudy conditions. The opposition in contrast enjoyed a bit of sunshine for the greater part of their venture.

(Senior cricket writer Ashis Ray is a broadcaster and author of the book ‘Cricket World Cup: The Indian Challenge’)

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