The ICC World Test Championship final, played between India and New Zealand at The Rose Bowl, Southampton some enthralling action throughout the test match. New Zealand beat India by 8-wickets to become the first-ever ICC World Test Champions.
Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson along with veteran Ross Taylor helped them to achieve the 139 runs target set by India without much hiccups. Kyle Jamieson was adjudged as the Player of the match for his all-round performance. In this article, we look at the 3 moments that defined this World Test Championship Final:
1. Kyle Jamieson’s five-wicket haul
Kyle Jamieson was the pick of the New Zealand pacers in the ICC World Test Championship. His five-wicket haul in the first innings of the Test Match de-railed India’s batting order. India were off to a brilliant start, as the openers put up a 62 run stand for the first wicket. Jamieson drew first blood for New Zealand, as Rohit Sharma tried to defend an outside off-stump delivery and edged it to Tim Southee, who dived to pull off a terrific catch.
Jamieson’s five-wicket haul also included the prized one of India’s skipper Virat Kohli. A good length delivery from Jamieson came back in sharply to beat the inside edge of Kohli’s bat and trap him plumb in front of the wickets. Rishabh Pant was Kyle Jamieson’s next victim.
Rishabh threw his bat a wide delivery outside off and was caught by Tom Latham. Jamieson cleaned up Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah to restrict India to 217 runs, in the first innings.
2. New Zealand’s wagging tail
In the second innings of the World Test Championship Final, Indian bowlers reduced New Zealand to 162/6 in the 83 overs, with 55 runs behind India’s 217 of the first innings. The situation had started to look grim for the Kiwis. Then, walked in, pacer Kyle Jamieson, who decided to keep the scoreboard ticking with quick runs.
He smoked a length-ball delivery from Mohammed Shami over long on for the first maximum in this World Test Championship final. Jamieson added 21 runs to the New Zealand total, in just 16 balls at a strike rate of 131.25. After the fall of Jamieson’s wicket, came in Tim Southee, who became a headache for the Indian bowlers.
Southee lasted 46 balls at the crease but added 30 runs to New Zealand’s total which helped them to go past India’s first innings score of 217 and take a valuable lead of 32 runs. Had Southee and Jamieson got out early, New Zealand would have found it difficult to take a first-innings lead in this test. The contribution from New Zealand’s lower order shifted the momentum to New Zealand’s favor.
3. Early wickets on Day 6
At the end of Day 5, the match was evenly poised as India were 64/2, just 32 runs ahead of New Zealand in the ICC World Test Championship final. Captain Virat Kohli resumed India’s innings on Day 6 along with Cheteshwar Pujara.
The partnership between this duo was crucial for India, as that would have taken the game away from New Zealand. Tim Southee got the things underway for New Zealand. Kiwi Skipper Kane Williamson brought in Kyle Jamieson, the star for New Zealand so far in the final, from the other end. In Jamieson’s only third over in the day, he dismissed the big fish, Virat Kohli.
Kohli hung his bat out to a short of a length delivery outside off and nicked an edge to the keeper. Soon, Kohli’s overnight batting partner Cheteshwar Pujara edged a beauty from Jamieson, and Ross Taylor at the first slip made no mistake. Two crucial strikes in the first hour of the match, pushed India on the backfoot from which they could not recover. Kohli’s and Pujara’s wicket set up the game for New Zealand.