Why New Zealand Could Trouble India in World Test Championship Final
India may well be favourites to lift this year’s inaugural World Test Championship trophy, but there are plenty of reasons why they will face a tough test in the final.
Virat Kohli’s men will meet Kane Williamson’s New Zealand at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, from June 18.
The two top-ranked Test sides in the world will battle it out to be crowned tournament champions for the very first time.
The World Test Championship was introduced in 2019 and is aimed at being the main tournament for Test cricket, meaning each format has its own pinnacle competition.
Countries are given points for their Test results over a two-year period. The top two teams then meet in the final.
A strong India side are the pre-match favourites with the best betting sites in India. They can be backed at 2.0 with 1xBet, while the Black Caps are available at 2.3. The draw is priced at 6.0.
However, despite the array of talent captain Kohli has at his disposal, there are a few factors that could tilt the balance in New Zealand’s favour.
English conditions suit the Black Caps
One of the biggest factors that could help New Zealand upset India are the playing conditions in England.
Conditions are much more similar to what the Black Caps are used to back home.
The pitch at the Rose Bowl could offer assistance to swing and pace bowling that suits the likes of Trent Boult and Kyle Jamieson.
It will be much easier for the New Zealand players to adapt to English conditions compared to their opponents, who would much prefer dryer, spin-friendly surfaces.
This is also supported by the head-to-head record of these two teams.
In-form NZ have a decent record against India
Not only have New Zealand won nine of their last 11 Test match series, they also boast an impressive record against India when they get them away from their favoured home comforts.
While India have secured 21 Test match wins in the last 59 meetings between these two, 16 of those have come in India.
New Zealand have won two games in India in the past but that ramps up significantly to 10 when welcoming India to their shores.
Maybe the biggest confidence booster for Williamson’s troops ahead of this final will also be their most recent Test match encounters.
The Black Caps secured a 2-0 series success last year thanks to a 10-wicket win in Wellington and a seven-wicket victory in Christchurch, proving India potentially have some ground to make up.
Williamson in ominous form
As fans of the Indian Premier League will know, Kane Williamson looks in fine form heading into this contest.
The batting star ended 2020 and started 2021 in excellent nick with double hundreds against both West Indies and Pakistan.
His latest action came in the shortest format in the IPL, an unbeaten 66 for Sunrisers against the Delhi Capitals in April underlines how well he was seeing it before the tournament was hit by Covid-19 postponement.
If the skipper can again provide another solid foundation for their middle-order hitters then their dangerous bowling attack will be given every opportunity to bowl India out twice.
New Zealand’s pace attack
As already mentioned, conditions will suit New Zealand’s bowling unit.
However, this only becomes significant if you have the players to take advantage, and the Black Caps certainly do.
Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner provide plenty of options for Williamson as he looks to unlock India’s impressive batting line-up.
Left-armer Boult has a particular liking to English conditions with 47 wickets in just 19 matches across all formats.
In Test cricket in England, the 31- year-old has two five-wicket hauls in four matches.
It is easy to see why India are the favourites to lift the trophy when you consider recent results in Australia and at home to England.
The number one-ranked Test side also has a formidable number of options to choose from and a strength-in-depth that is the envy of nearly all other nations.
However, New Zealand have plenty of factors that can help them come out on top when the World Test Championship final gets underway for the first time.
