New Zealand defeated India by 8-wickets in the WTC Final at The Rose Bowl, Southampton to win the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship. India’s heart-breaking defeat has left the Indian cricket fans disappointed. Some pundits are questioning India’s playing XI in the match, while some are still trying to find the answers behind India’s loss.
Former Australian Batsman Michael Bevan analyzed India’s loss in the recent World Test Championship and has listed some reasons behind the team’s performance.
Bevan has stated that Under preparation was one of the prime reasons. Due to quarantine rules in the UK, the Indian did not get sufficient time before the World Test Championship Final to get accustomed with the conditions. The Indian team played only one Intra-squad simulation game. Whereas, the New Zealand side was coming on the back of a test series win against England, which helped them to prepare better for the final.
This isn’t just a team. It’s a family. We move ahead. TOGETHER 💙🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/E5ATtCGWLo
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) June 24, 2021
The former Australian cricketer also believes that England playing conditions, offering swing and pacer were better suited for the New Zealand bowlers. New Zealand’s bowling attack, comprising of Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult were able to extract more help from the surface than the Indian bowlers.
Heading into the last day of play, Bevan thinks, India could have only drawn the match. The fall of skipper Virat Kohli and seasoned batsman Cheteshwar Pujara’s wicket put extra pressure on the Indian team.
Michael Bevan shared a post on his Instagram account, stating the reasons behind India’s loss in the game.
“Preparation; India were short of match practice in English conditions. 2. Conditions; suited NZ swing bowlers more than the India bowlers. 3. Situation; heading into the last day India could only draw or lose putting extra pressure on their batsmen,” Michael Bevan wrote on his Instagram handle.
India to play warm-up games ahead of Test series against England
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has requested the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to arrange some practice matches ahead of England series.
After widespread criticisms, the management has taken a cue out of it and is keen to play some practice games leading up to the five-match series, starting August 4.
This Test series will be a part of the second cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.