Team India were unable to live up to the expectations and suffered a morale-breaking defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final. The two teams were almost evenly matched, but the Black Caps eventually pulled through with a team effort.
This is India’s 5th loss in an ICC final, just one behind England, who have the ignominious record of being the team with the most defeats in an ICC final. New Zealand have been India’s tormentors in ICC events, dating back to 2003 which was the last time the Men in Blue got the better of the Kiwis.
Following the gut-wrenching defeat, Indian skipper Virat Kohli took to social media to show appreciation for his players and the team. Sharing a picture from the WTC Final where the team is seen engaged intensely in a huddle, Kohli stated the players meant a lot more to him than just colleagues.
“This isn’t just a team. It’s a family. We move ahead. TOGETHER,” Virat captioned the post on Twitter.
This isn’t just a team. It’s a family. We move ahead. TOGETHER 💙🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/E5ATtCGWLo
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) June 24, 2021
India to play five-match Test series against England
Like Kohli has stated before, the WTC Final is not where he wants to stop. There are crucial tours of England and South Africa coming up and Team India needs to get over the defeat to New Zealand very quickly.
India is slated to compete in a grueling 5-match Test series against England starting on August 4. According to the recent update, the series will be part of the second cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC), and hence it is very important for Virat Kohli’s men to set things in motion on the right note.