World Test Championship: New Zealand Script A Glorious Legacy
23 Jun, 2022
Picture Source: ICC
“Nice guys do finish first” is how Simon Doull echoed his sentiments after the Kane Williamson-led New Zealand scripted history at Southampton. Playing their first Test in 1930 and taking another 26 years to register their first test win, the first World test Champion title must feel special. It has been an arduous journey for New Zealand cricket which ends with a fitting tribute to the likes of Martin Crowe, Bert Sutcliffe, Jack Cowie, Richard Hadlee and many others, establishing that sooner or later, patience always gets rewarded.
The WTC is an ambitious attempt by cricket’s apex administrative body to provide meaningful context to the 144-year-old format. The format and its inadequacies is not the subject of this story though. The WTC final has provided us a momentous occasion to savour test cricket in its purest form. The rain-truncated encounter had all the elements that underline the essence and beauty of test cricket. Every result was possible till the final session on the final day.
It might have been marketed as the ultimate test, but I would say it was the classic test!
Different Dynamics
Weather is an intricate aspect of cricket, wielding great power to dictate terms of the match. Varying weather conditions spanning over a period of 5 days add an element of curiosity and uncertainty which is difficult to replicate in any other format. Only the best survive and come out as winners. Building towards the final, it was evident that weather is going to play a crucial role with the conditions being gloomy and overcast. Rain was a mood-spoiler, interrupting the match more times than I could remember. But the result still came through - a testament to the sheer grit and determination of the players.
The team compositions added to the drama. India had two spinners in their playing XI while NZ went with an all pace attack. This was always going to have a significant impact on the result. The NZ pace quartet dominated crucial sessions. They complemented each other tremendously well. Jamieson, in particular, showed exceptional skill, discipline and accuracy. Just 8 matches old, he set up the Indian batters with bounce and movement. His spell in the first session of the final day dismissing Kohli and Pujara within a space of 10 balls allowed the Kiwis to push for a win.
It was complemented with incredible field changes and exceptional slip catching. Take Rahane’s wicket in the first innings for example. Tom Latham was shifted to square leg just before the ball that got Rahane out playing the pull on a bouncer from Neil Wagner. There are many more such instances of smart field changes. Williamson is an intelligent and dynamic leader. He aggressively rotated his bowlers to create pressure on Indian batters and pick wickets at regular intervals
This is not to say Indian bowlers were not effective. The average scoring rate in the match was around two runs per over, signifying that bowlers from both sides consistently bowled well. However, NZ bowlers relied more on seam as against Indian bowlers who relied on swing. The overcast conditions made seamers more lethal and India desperately missed a fourth fast-bowling option.
Batting in overcast conditions is tricky. You have to dig in hard, trust your skill and wait patiently for the opposition to make a mistake. The opening session on the first day saw remarkable application from Indian openers - Rohit and Shubman. The seasoned pair of Kohli and Rahane offered maximum resistance and were the standout batters. But that’s pretty much it.
Indian batters never found momentum. The partnerships failed to come through and there were not just enough runs on the board to even push for a draw.
Williamson Masterclass
The real masterclass came from Kane Williamson and Devon Conway in NZ’s first innings. Conway stayed at the crease for 222 minutes for his 54 from 153 balls and Williamson batted for 294 minutes to score 49 from 177 balls. Context and conditions of the match make these innings even more phenomenal. More so for Kane Williamson.
The crowd kept hurling phrases at him like "Kane Williamson, you are so boring" and "NoIPL contract next year for you Kane". Made him jittery, but not faulty. Naseer Husaain later said
“This innings so far, he may not feel like it at the moment, but it will give him a lot of pleasure when he looks back on his career.”
In the second innings, Williamson scored 52 from 89 balls in his time of 147 minutes at the crease. Winning the match was the goal this time and hence run-scoring was quicker than the first innings. He was ably supported by the experienced ‘Luteru’ Ross Taylor, who deservingly hit the winning runs. Taylor made his first-class debut in 2002 and is the highest run scorer for the Kiwis. His eyes were moist as he expressed his happiness of winning the title after missing out on so many of them in his 15 year long career.
First World Test Champions
Both India and New Zealand were outstanding and put up a thrilling contest, something which will justify the motive of the WTC. There are issues raised with regards to the WTC format and the need of a longer series to decide the winner. These are genuine concerns which need solutions. But that will not take away from what New Zealand has achieved. They were clinical in their performance and truly worthy of being the World test champions. They have scripted a glorious legacy, one which will inspire generations to take up this beautiful sport. Because that is what World Championship wins do.
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