The World Test Championship Final 2021

First topic message reminder :

The World Test Championship has been something that many of us wanted for a long time, it took time to materialize, and in the middle changed the point system as the pandemic struck. There are imperfections and work need to be done to make more rounded. But it is a great initiative for the truest format. And I feel it merits a separat thread, outside the Rest of the World stuff...
India and New Zealand will be contesting for the first Championship title from 18th June. Both these sides have had some impressive success on way to the final. India's series win against Australia has to be their performance of the cycle, while New Zealand had a fine home record and then they capped it with a first series win in more than 20 years in England just before the final.
Both the sides have also shown some fine bench strength in recent times. India won in Australia effectively without Kohli, and for parts of the series, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and Ishant Sharma who couldn't even make it to the touring party as he was injured. Jadeja and Shami were unavailable for their home series win against England as well. In their absence, Mohammad Siraj, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur, all emerged and Gill has become first choice and Siraj has become first choice squad at the very least. All the original first choice players are now available in the extended squad.
As for New Zealand, their most recent test win, a demolition job on England was achieved with the world number one test batter and their skipper Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and BJ Watling. Devon Conwy has emerged and has suggested tha he has it in him to solve a major problem New Zealand have had even during this winning run, that of a partner for Tom Latham. Will Young's emergence indicates that even if the 37 year old Ross Taylor decides to move on, they have options. Matthew Henry and Douglas Bracewell are very capable first reserves with a taste of and some success in test cricket, and in Tom Blundell, they have an able replacement for the retiring BJ Watling behind the stumps.
This strong bench strength also introduces some selection dilemmas for both sides as far as the final is concerned. Will it be Ashwin and Jadeja both for India? Will it be the first choice attack of Bumrah, Shami and Ishant, or will Siraj make it ahead of Ishant? Or will they go in with all 4 with Jadeja batting 7?
Will New Zealand bench one of their established pace quartet to include a spinner? Or will they play all 4 and the skippr himself take on the spin bowling responsibilities? Or will young Rachin Ravindra be given a surprise debut in the all-rounder slot? If they decide to bench one of the pacers, who would that be? Jamieson is the least experienced of the group but he has fine success against India. Southee and Boult have primed themselves quite fine leading up to the match. Neil Wagner did lack a bit of rhythm in the England series but finished it pretty well. Will be a very tough call for Williamson.
There is a lot exciting in the build-up to the game itself. Hope it will produce great excitement in terms of the actual cricket, like the last ICC event final!

Cruise control for the Kiwis now. An utterly fantastic win for them, started off with Jamieson's spell this morning, and underlining their rise as a test side over the past 5-6 years (maybe a little longer). Winning in the UAE was magnificent, but being World Test Champions is an even greater step.

India commendably battling it out to the bitter end...still 24 needed from the last eleven overs.

Expecting a few boundaries to finish soon and let me get some sleep ...have to watch France and Portugal on delay.

Think I can safely congratulate NZ on a well deserved WTC and lots of prize money . With a little luck they might have both Test and ODI
crowns now so I reckon they can call themselves Number One without
Much argument , eh ?

Its almost all over. Who can grudge the New Zealanders this win. They have outbatted India basically, and bowled really well to earn this win. The heartbreak of 2019, Williamson's team can now move on. They will be the first ever World Test Champion, and nobody can take it away from them.

Surely this will cement Williamson's place as a cracking skipper as well. His batting gets the plaudits it deserves but less so his captaincy. He's led this sides rise superbly well.

Jamieson coming into his own has just added another edge to an already very good team.

Yes, a very well deserved win for New Zealand. Honestly thought we wouldn't get a result given the two days washed out.

Feel for India... who have fought valiantly over the WTC cycle and blooded some superb players during that time; ably supported by their usual stalwarts. As mentioned on here, it was a pity they came in a bit cold after their home series. They most certainly have raised the bar even higher.

New Zealand, on the other hand, had just about the perfect preparation with the 2 Tests against England. I really admire their low key workman-like approach to the game. I had a moment of doubt when Ashwin was well in control and picked up the two quick wickets and NZ still required around 95 runs (I had to switch over to Sweden-Slovakia and Spain-Poland for a breather) but that one over when Taylor found the boundary twice seemed to loosen the shackles and it has been almost plain sailing since then - apart from the lbw review / slips drop. It's great to see him and Kane steer them to a memorable victory on foreign soil.

At least half of me feels absolutely over the moon!  

They've done it!

Well done NZ. A pleasure to watch. And it’s been a high quality Test match to watch, the bits I have managed to catch anyway.

Plenty to work on for V2 of the WTC, but this time the final has delivered.

Echo that, Joey.

A great win for NZ but India have cemented themselves as the second best side in Test cricket with their growth over the last few years.

Well done NZ ...

Commiserations to India who fought hard but had to make do with second.

The capricious English weather tried hard to spoil the game but relented today ...and we are all thankful for that.

Sad end but a fair one
Ind were second best, had their moments but just not enough on top of their game to close out those moments in their favor
Game was close than the margin of NZ win would suggest.

And within the playing eleven, bowling let us down more than batting.
Ashwin was good...shami almost good
Bumrah and Ishant weren't .....and on a seaming pitch if two third of your seam bowling attack ain't pulling their weight, then it becomes hard to catch up

You cannot go cold inot a big game like this....against a top side fully primed up
Kohli is a poor starter to the series at the best of times.

They take a break with their families for next two weeks and then come back to practise for two weeks before the test match among themselves ....not ideal.
Only a miracle or rain will save India in the first test.....but they will come back from second test onwards fighting hard.

The inevitability of collapse Indian Nos 9,10 and 11 is actually ridiculous.....they need to have one of Bhuvi or shardul in playing eleven as one of the 3 seam  bowlers.
Well done NZ    

So glad we got a positive result and well done NZ. Fitting that their two best batsmen were there at the end.

India may need a hot, dry August to make inroads against England who may not be so fragile when certain players return.

In the aftermath of WTC final loss it appears Kohli is set to reshuffle batting preempting similar pitches....with the aim of scoring runs while out there
Mayank Agarwal back to openers slot
Gill goes down to No. 3 in place of Puajra...this will happen in the next test

and Rahane will have one or tw more tests and then Rahul replaces him

The elephant in the room is still the inability of Indian seamers to pick wicket and the appalling lack of ability of nos 9,10 and 11 to score even 10 runs among themselves