Predict the result of the WTC Final between India and New Zealand at Southampton (June 18-22)

[jnaveen1980]

It depends on a multitude of factors.

Now, for Indian fans, would you play Jadeja over an extremely in-form Axar Patel, knowing that Jadeja won't play a test until the WTC Final?

Similarly, another thing to look at is Gill's form. Would you persist with Gill or go back to perhaps another opener like KL Rahul?

I suppose the conditions depend as well, but one thing is for certain, if Pujara and Kohli can fire for India in the final, they will be the clear favourites to win.

Left arm seamers and final never go well for India. Boult will run through us in the right conditions

 

[TNAmarkFromIndia]

Left arm seamers and final never go well for India. Boult will run through us in the right conditions

If there's swing/seam, we're lame ducks. What's worse is that the highest scorer in our previous tour to England, Kohli, is going through a rough patch. Gill hasn't played there either.

 

[CricketCartoons]

Why is the final being held in England? Should be at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest cricket stadium in the world.

 

[street cricketer]

Even if both sides start with zero practice in England, theoretically, New Zealand has better tools to succeed in those conditions than India. NZ have an array of swing and seam bowlers while Indian attack is mostly seam bowlers. Ishant is probably our best swing bowler if Bhuvneshwar is injured as he usually gets in the IPL. And their batsmen are more used to playing against the swinging ball than ours.

And when you consider the fact that NZ is going to play a test series against England along with a two first class matches prior to the test series as warm up matches and India, to my knowledge, would be heading straight from the IPL to the WTC final, I can't see it ending any other than with a New Zealand win. India must be wary of getting bowled out for a low total as that would be an embarrassment in the final.

The only way I see India doing well is if they win the toss and play on a flat or a drier wicket where the Indian bowlers with their faster pace will be able to trouble the Kiwi batsmen on a flat track than what the Kiwi bowlers can do, as they mostly operate in the mid 80s range. Plus the Indian spinners would come into the game on a flat or a dry track. If it's anything like a typical English wicket/conditions, I can't see anything other than Williamson lifting the inaugural WTC trophy.

 

[sindhiboy]

Not going to underestimate NZ especially after watching how we played against them last year in their own den. Conditions will be somewhat similar so I will keep my expectations low. Are we going to play any practice match there before this final or are we going to treat IPL as a practice tournament for this final?

Ipl has proved to be a good practice. Look at Washington Sundar, thakur, axar patel, Nataranjan

 

[cricketjoshila]

The bold part is underestimated by many.

No. Its not. That will be the single biggest factor influencing the match.

 

[MenInG]

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is mulling over changing the location of the final of the World Test Championship between India and New Zealand. Initially, the home of cricket, Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, was supposed to host the final from June 18th to June 22, with one reserve day. However, now the governing body is pondering to change the venue due to the logistical issues teams will face.

The ICC and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have enquired a couple of other grounds for the availability of which the Ageas Bowl or The Rose Bowl in Southampton is the frontrunner to host the marquee event. Other grounds in contention are the Old Trafford in Manchester and Edgbaston in Birmingham.

The attached hotels with the Ageas Bowl in Southampton is one of the key reason to be picked over other ground as such in case of lockdown and the bio-bubbles making easier logistical operations.

Last year, when cricket resumed in England in the pandemic era, England hosted West Indies and Pakistan in Manchester and Southampton.

“The venue will be announced soon. Lord’s is not the venue ICC is planning for. ICC will be advised by the England and Wales Cricket Board and its own medical health professionals to decide on the venue for the final. There could be a case of creating a similar bio-bubble as the ECB had for the last home summer,” an ICC source was quoted as saying by Times of India.

https://cricketaddictor.com/cricket...-bowl-in-southampton-likely-to-replace-lords/

 

[AMSS]

I mean, the whole point of having it in England was that it'd be played at Lord's with its so-called status. If Lord's is ruled out because they are too incompetent in London, then why not move it out of the country? I mean, there'd be less chance of the final ruined by rain etc.

I cannot think why this final cannot be held at Dharmshala, for example. Monsoon only arrives in July end so no threat of rain. The weather would be beautiful and sunny and temperature topping at 30-32 degrees. Holding it in India means proper hype as well.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

According to reports Southampton is frontrunner to host WTC finals. Can any stats ninja post these two team stats there?

 

[UzmanBeast]

Left arm seamers and final never go well for India. Boult will run through us in the right conditions

That depends how ICC markets the final.

It's the inaugural WTC Final, so would they make it a grazing spot for cows and livestock?

The obvious answer is no, it will most likely be a flatter pitch with about 300-ish scores being the benchmark for batting.

The team with the better batting and bowling deserves to win, so if India can put up some good scores in the final (Kohli, Pujara need to fire and Pant needs to do what he's been doing), they are the favourites to win.

Jadeja and Shami wouldn't have played any test cricket before the WTC Final, so there's a decision to take there as well.

 

[UzmanBeast]

I mean, the whole point of having it in England was that it'd be played at Lord's with its so-called status. If Lord's is ruled out because they are too incompetent in London, then why not move it out of the country? I mean, there'd be less chance of the final ruined by rain etc.

I cannot think why this final cannot be held at Dharmshala, for example. Monsoon only arrives in July end so no threat of rain. The weather would be beautiful and sunny and temperature topping at 30-32 degrees. Holding it in India means proper hype as well.

The idea of having a final is to keep it neutral for the teams participating.

If England made the final, I wouldn't want it to be played in English conditions.

So if you look at the finalists, you have New Zealand and India.

India play with an SG ball in subcontinental conditions, and New Zealand use the Kookaburra ball in their own conditions.

In this situation, what's the breakthrough? The Dukes ball (both teams do not use it) and in England (conditions where both teams do not play).

In the future, we'll see some issues in where the final happens, because quite frankly Lords cannot host all the finals just because of its reputation.

Dharamshala Stadium would be a fantastic venue to host if the final.

 

[jeetu]

Rose Bowl , Southampton
[table=class: grid, align: center]
[tr][td]Team [/td][td]Span [/td][td]Mat [/td][td]Won [/td][td]Lost [/td][td]Tied [/td][td]Draw [/td][td]W/L [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]England [/td][td]2011-2020 [/td][td]6 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]3 [/td][td]2 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]West Indies [/td][td]2020-2020 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]- [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]India [/td][td]2014-2018 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Pakistan [/td][td]2020-2020 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Sri Lanka [/td][td]2011-2011 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]0 [/td][/tr]
[/table]


Lord's
[table=class: grid, align: center]
[tr][td]Team [/td][td]Span [/td][td]Mat [/td][td]Won [/td][td]Lost [/td][td]Tied [/td][td]Draw [/td][td]W/L [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]England [/td][td]1884-2019 [/td][td]137 [/td][td]55 [/td][td]32 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]50 [/td][td]1.718 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Australia [/td][td]1884-2019 [/td][td]39 [/td][td]17 [/td][td]7 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]15 [/td][td]2.428 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Pakistan [/td][td]1954-2018 [/td][td]16 [/td][td]5 [/td][td]5 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]6 [/td][td]1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]South Africa [/td][td]1907-2017 [/td][td]17 [/td][td]5 [/td][td]8 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]4 [/td][td]0.625 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]West Indies [/td][td]1928-2017 [/td][td]21 [/td][td]4 [/td][td]10 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]7 [/td][td]0.4 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]India [/td][td]1932-2018 [/td][td]18 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]12 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]4 [/td][td]0.166 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]New Zealand [/td][td]1931-2015 [/td][td]17 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]8 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]8 [/td][td]0.125 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Bangladesh [/td][td]2005-2010 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Ireland [/td][td]2019-2019 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Sri Lanka [/td][td]1984-2016 [/td][td]8 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]6 [/td][td]0 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Zimbabwe [/td][td]2000-2003 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]0 [/td][/tr]
[/table]

 

[Raja111]

I also heard that the final has been shifted to the roses bowl Southampton from lords.

I think NZ have never played any test there.
India have played twice and lost both with one being lost by 200+ in 2014.
and the other one by 60 in 2018 with Pujara scoring 130+ in the first innings and Moeen Ali being the MoM for picking up 9 wickets.

 

[Junaids]

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is mulling over changing the location of the final of the World Test Championship between India and New Zealand. Initially, the home of cricket, Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, was supposed to host the final from June 18th to June 22, with one reserve day. However, now the governing body is pondering to change the venue due to the logistical issues teams will face.

The ICC and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have enquired a couple of other grounds for the availability of which the Ageas Bowl or The Rose Bowl in Southampton is the frontrunner to host the marquee event. Other grounds in contention are the Old Trafford in Manchester and Edgbaston in Birmingham.

The attached hotels with the Ageas Bowl in Southampton is one of the key reason to be picked over other ground as such in case of lockdown and the bio-bubbles making easier logistical operations.

Last year, when cricket resumed in England in the pandemic era, England hosted West Indies and Pakistan in Manchester and Southampton.

“The venue will be announced soon. Lord’s is not the venue ICC is planning for. ICC will be advised by the England and Wales Cricket Board and its own medical health professionals to decide on the venue for the final. There could be a case of creating a similar bio-bubble as the ECB had for the last home summer,” an ICC source was quoted as saying by Times of India.

https://cricketaddictor.com/cricket...-bowl-in-southampton-likely-to-replace-lords/

This is the major problem with this thread.

People are assuming it will be Lords, but it's almost certainly going to be Southampton.

I know this firstly because people I know at Lancashire have told me that they definitely aren't hosting it, but mainly because you can book rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Old Trafford online (GBP68) whereas the Ageas Bowl Hilton at Southampton has been withdrawn from sale.

So the WTC Final is at the driest, warmest ground in England. Which means that New Zealand's "home" advantage is lost, and India should be strong favourites.

 

[Heisenberg111]

This is the major problem with this thread.

People are assuming it will be Lords, but it's almost certainly going to be Southampton.

I know this firstly because people I know at Lancashire have told me that they definitely aren't hosting it, but mainly because you can book rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Old Trafford online (GBP68) whereas the Ageas Bowl Hilton at Southampton has been withdrawn from sale.

So the WTC Final is at the driest, warmest ground in England. Which means that New Zealand's "home" advantage is lost, and India should be strong favourites.

India would have been favorites at Lords too. Last 2 decades, NZ have the worst record out of all top 8 teams in England, they have only won 1 test in England since 1999.

 

[Mesozoic]

It'd be an absolute bummer if the game is taken away from Lords.

Southampon just doesn't have that feel...

Atleast get Edgebaston or Headingley...

 

[OMB]

Glory Down Under and nearly perfect at home – India's road to the WTC final

Despite starting their World Test Championship campaign with seven consecutive victories, India's spot in the final was not cemented until their last Test in the qualification period.

We look back at their road to the decider.

West Indies 0 – India 2, August 2019
India flew out of the blocks at the start of their WTC campaign, beating the West Indies 2-0 in the Caribbean. A five-wicket haul from Ishant Sharma (5/43) saw India claim a 75-run first-innings lead in the series opener, and the tourists took control from there thanks to Ajinkya Rahane's century (102). A target of 419 was always going to be too much to chase down, and Jasprit Bumrah made sure of that by taking 5/7. Bumrah was again at the heart of India’s victory in the second Test, taking 6/27 and claiming his first Test hat-trick. That and a Hanuma Vihari century (111) helped India to a 257-run win.
They finished the series with 100 per cent of the points available to them.
India beat the West Indies 2-0.

India 3 – South Africa 0, October 2019

Two months later, India hosted South Africa in what looked set to be a serious test of their WTC ambitions. The last time the two teams had met, South Africa had won 2-1. However, that was in South Africa. In India, Virat Kohli’s team were firm favourites. Nevertheless, a 3-0 scoreline still did not look the likeliest result before the series started.
The first Test saw Mayank Agarwal (215) and Rohit Sharma (176) put on a 317-run opening stand to help India to a total of 502/7d. A huge total by any standards but not one that blew South Africa out of the game as the Proteas scored 431 in their first-innings, despite a seven-wicket haul from Ravichandran Ashwin (7/145). It took a second-innings century from Rohit (127) and a five-for from Mohammed Shami (5/35) to secure victory in the end.
In the second Test, it was Kohli’s turn to shine, making an unbeaten 254 as India posted a first-innings total of 601/5, with Agarwal (108) scoring another century. South Africa did not put up as stiff a fight this time around, crumbling to an innings-and-137-run defeat.
Similar punishment was dealt out in the final Test of the series as a double-century from Rohit (212) and a century from Rahane (115) steered India to an innings-and-202-run victory.
Once again, India picked up another 120 points for the series, and maintained their 100 per cent record.
Rohit Sharma dominated South Africa.

India 2 – Bangladesh 0, November 2019
India’s dominant run continued in late 2019 as they handed Bangladesh a 2-0 series defeat that notably featured the first day-night Test ever played in India. Having dealt South Africa back-to-back innings defeats in their previous series, India repeated the trick two more times against Bangladesh.
In the series-opener, Agarwal (243) scored a double-century, and another fine all-round display from the attack ensured India only had to bat once. India then got their first taste of day-night Test cricket and enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Ishant Sharma (5/22) took a five-for to help bowl Bangladesh out for 106 before a century from Kohli (136) put India in the driver’s seat. Four more wickets to Ishant (4/56) in the second innings and five from Umesh Yadav (5/53) wrapped up the win inside three days.
At this stage, India had picked up all 360 points available to them.
Virat Kohli scored a century in his first day-night Test.Virat Kohli scored a century in his first day-night Test.

New Zealand 2 – India 0, February 2020

India’s perfect record in the WTC came crashing down in early February. Taking on New Zealand in New Zealand, the Indians were comprehensively defeated 2-0.
Sent out to bat at Basin Reserve, the Indians were knocked over for 165 as Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson took four wickets each. Five wickets from Ishant (5/68) kept New Zealand to 358. In the end, New Zealand only had to chase nine runs to win, with a five-wicket haul from Southee condemning India to their first defeat of the WTC.
There were signs of a bounce-back at Christchurch where India claimed a surprise seven-run lead despite a five-wicket haul from Jamieson.
Unfortunately for the Indians, they were unable to capitalise as they were bowled out for 124 in their second-innings and New Zealand went on to win by seven wickets. Their percentage tally at this stage, as would become pertinent by the next time they played, was 75 per cent.
India had a tough time in New Zealand.

Australia 1 – India 2, December-January 2020-21

India’s hopes of reaching the WTC final were dealt a major blow at the start of the Border-Gavaskar series as Kohli’s team were bowled out for 36 at Adelaide Oval and sunk to an eight-wicket defeat.
With Kohli flying home for the birth of his first child and Mohammed Shami suffering a broken forearm, few gave India much chance of bouncing back.
At the MCG, they immediately put those concerns to bed in an eight-wicket victory, built on a century from stand-in captain Rahane (112). The win did, however, come at a cost as Yadav suffered a series-ending injury.
The injury toll got worse at the SCG where India scrapped their way to the most remarkable of draws. Set a target of 407 to win, India went into the innings with injury clouds hanging over both Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, who had been struck on the arm and glove respectively in the first innings.
But it was Pant who turned the tide of the match, scoring a scintillating 97 off 118 to make a chase of 407 look possible on day five. When he and Cheteshwar Pujara perished, India needed 135 runs to win and the script was set for a mad dash to victory.
Instead, what followed was some of the bravest batting you’ll ever see as Ashwin ignored a tweak in his back and Vihari battled a torn hamstring. With Jadeja sitting padded up on the team balcony with a dislocated thumb, Ashwin and Vihari stood tall for close to 40 overs to force the draw.
Neither man was fit enough to play at the Gabba. Nor were Jadeja and Bumrah.
Few expected India to claim the series from there. It had been decades since a team had won at the Gabba and the side that had pulled it off were the incomparable West Indies of 1988. This was an Indian team down seven of their best bowlers and captain Kohli.
Five days later, Pant led the Indian team on a lap of honour at the Gabba. India had won the series and their WTC percentage sat at a healthy 71.66 per cent.
India won a famous series in Australia.

India 3 - England 1, February-March, 2021

India went into the England series needing to win at least two Tests and the campaign.
They got off to the worst possible start at Chennai, suffering a 227-run defeat as a Joe Root double-century buried them despite a six-wicket haul from Ashwin (6/61) in England’s second innings.
They rebounded in the second Test, where a century from Rohit (161) followed by a five-wicket haul from Ashwin (5/43) saw India take a first-innings lead of 195. Ashwin (106) followed his five-for with a century in India’s second innings, before five wickets from debutant Axar Patel (5/60) wrapped up a 317-run win.
Axar (6/38, 5/32) picked up where he left off in the third Test, taking 11 wickets to seal another comfortable victory for India.
In the final Test, after India had bowled England out for 205 in the first innings, there were some nerves when India were reduced to 146/6 in their reply. However, Pant once again emerged to underline why he is one of the brightest youngsters in the game, scoring a well-paced century to pull India back. Washington Sundar's 96* bolstered India's lead to 160.
Ashwin and Axar then got to work on the England batsmen, bowling them out for 135 to secure an innings-and-25-run victory, and seal the series 3-1.
And with that India’s spot in the WTC final was secured.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2055446/featured

 

[speed_thrills]

Interesting. NZ won the last 2 tests against India by 7 and 10 wickets.

Left Arm Seamer swinging the ball in, thats where the story ends for India.

 

[Ab Fan]

India would have been favorites at Lords too. Last 2 decades, NZ have the worst record out of all top 8 teams in England, they have only won 1 test in England since 1999.

But why are you comparing last 2 decades record? Those NZ teams are different from this NZ team. Last time they toured Eng, they drew 1-1 in 2015 and since then Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson have made their attack far more stronger.

 

[jnaveen1980]

If there's swing/seam, we're lame ducks. What's worse is that the highest scorer in our previous tour to England, Kohli, is going through a rough patch. Gill hasn't played there either.

Gill is a middle order batsman although he has opened the innings. He tries to go after every ball. He belong in the middle order. He can completely take the game away in 2 sessions. So sacrificing him as opener is not right. New ball movement can undo even the best of best.

 

[Heisenberg111]

But why are you comparing last 2 decades record? .

Just to bust the myth that many seem to propagate here that NZ do well in England, when infact their record is the worst out of all teams in England.

 

[Barragan]

Depends on the weather.

Generally pitches are flat at Lords, but some rain will leave moisture in the pitch, so you get seam movement or it will be overcast and the conditions are ripe for swing.

If it is sunny throughout the match, then spin will play a major role.

 

[Markhor]

Well let's see the venue confirmed first, but regardless of the pitch - overhead conditions and the Dukes ball means there will be swing on offer.

 

[rhony]

Will be a well deserved victory for India. Will be a close match but this team is a beast.

 

[Rana]

Rose Bowl...India should win

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Cricket isnt a linear game.

NZ doesnt have a good record in England if I am not wrong.

Plus it will spin there too. Atleast in 2nd innings.

India needs to prepare well to tackle swing and chances are high NZ can be beaten.

If we turn up the way we are right now, NZ will masaccre us.

They are a very resilient team.

Therein lies your question and no answer,....good question btw.....prepare yeah...and how? by playing in 43 deg heat in the useless IPL which will serve no purpose other than a) drain out guys b) mentally pressure them due to the bio bubble etc 3) chance of injuries 4) contacting the virus ....For once, I wish, we would pull 20 of the certain team starters at lords out halfway thru the IPL and fly them to the UK to get used to the conditions and practice accordingly.
Secondly, as Ravi said we were comfortably placed on the ladder and on the cusp of making the finals, the 2-0 loss in nz nothwithstanding when ICC decided to do the points change with the percentage whatever its called.
WE didn't complain, took it on the chin, took it as a challenge and won whatever came our way.
We deserve to be in the finals and win it...dunno about NZ - not that they are not a good team-but have they beaten all comers - outside NZ?
all in all, hopefully the BCCI is proactive on this front and does the needful to put the main guys in the correct space to win in june, at Lords...
GO Indiaaa...

 

[Napa]

The last time these two teams toured england india averaged 25 with the bat and 30 with the ball so technically fell short by 50 runs every time. Nz on the other hand averaged 40 with the bat and 35 with the ball. That techn8cally a lead of 50 everytime and they have jamieson as well this time around.

1. NZ actually averaged 36.8 with the ball, not 35 (1,472/40)

2. That series was 6 years ago, carries little value for analysis now.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/new-zealand-in-england-test-series-2015-743917/match-results

 

[rhony]

Therein lies your question and no answer,....good question btw.....prepare yeah...and how? by playing in 43 deg heat in the useless IPL which will serve no purpose other than a) drain out guys b) mentally pressure them due to the bio bubble etc 3) chance of injuries 4) contacting the virus ....For once, I wish, we would pull 20 of the certain team starters at lords out halfway thru the IPL and fly them to the UK to get used to the conditions and practice accordingly.
Secondly, as Ravi said we were comfortably placed on the ladder and on the cusp of making the finals, the 2-0 loss in nz nothwithstanding when ICC decided to do the points change with the percentage whatever its called.
WE didn't complain, took it on the chin, took it as a challenge and won whatever came our way.
We deserve to be in the finals and win it...dunno about NZ - not that they are not a good team-but have they beaten all comers - outside NZ?
all in all, hopefully the BCCI is proactive on this front and does the needful to put the main guys in the correct space to win in june, at Lords...
GO Indiaaa...

They played IPL before the Aussie test series too. And that was in the bubble. And that too with most of the team injured. They will be alright

 

[Sachin136]

NZ hasn't played a test in England since 2015.

 

[Buffet]

They played IPL before the Aussie test series too. And that was in the bubble. And that too with most of the team injured. They will be alright

And India lost the first test.

1 test does not allow the better team to always win.

Aus won the first test.
Eng won the first test.

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

They played IPL before the Aussie test series too. And that was in the bubble. And that too with most of the team injured. They will be alright

Hope so... ....I also wish the finals were a best of three....one test does make it a lottery of sorts assuming rain in june in England will have a say....
the other advantage I can see of IPL before the finals is the certain starters like Mo Shami, Jadds, Vihari, or even the bench guys like KL, umesh, kulli, hardik will get a proper go and get tuned....
its the prospect of the regulars read VK, Jinks, Che Pu (heard he's playing the IPL this time) , Rishabh, Jazzboom, ashwin, ishant getting burnt out....that's the real bother....
I defo wish BCCI had some sort of rest and relaxation pol keeping in mind the bigger pic, even in the IPL

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/india-new-zealand-world-test-championship-final-in-southampton-from-june-18-22-bcci-president-sourav-ganguly-2386373?amp=1&akamai-rum=off&__twitter_impression=true

India will play their inaugural World Test Championship final against New Zealand at Southampton's Ageas Bowl Stadium from June 18-22, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly confirmed on Monday. Initially, the final was supposed to be held at the Lord's but Southampton, with a five-star facility inside the stadium, will make it easier for both the ICC and the England and Wales Cricket Board to create a bio-bubble for the two teams. "Yes, the final will be held at Ageas Bowl," Ganguly replied to a query from PTI.

India qualified for the marquee clash after beating England 3-1 in a just-concluded Test series. The BCCI president, who has been on a medical break after undergoing a bypass surgery, is expected to travel to UK to watch the final match.

Southampton, with its slowish track, puts India on even keel with New Zealand as spinners will come into the game at the venue. "I will go for the World Test Championship and hopefully we can get past New Zealand in the final. New Zealand will be there before us and they will play a couple of Test matches (against England)," Ganguly told India Today channel. He lavished praise on the team for its superlative performance in the away series against Australia and home games against England. Was it a massive achievement? "Oh yes, specially after what players have gone through to be in those bubbles and play cricket day in and day out. It was remarkable. Right from IPL till now. What they have achieved is fantastic," he told the channel.

"I think we must congratulate Ajinkya Rahane, first in Australia and Virat Kohli in England, the head coach, support staff, everybody. (Rahul) Dravid who does a lot of work behind the scenes with these boys. To see that day in Brisbane was outstanding," he said. Ganguly believes that Rishabh Pant is a match winner in the mould of Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"I have seen him for past two years and I have belief in match-winners. A player, who on his day will win you games. Pant is one such guy," Ganguly said. "Sydney Test, if he had been there for six more overs, he would have won us that game too. He is like Dhoni, Sehwag and Yuvraj, who can win matches alone," said the former India captain.

He was mighty impressed with Pant's game sense during his under pressure hundred at Motera. "...and look at how he played in Ahmedabad. His game sense while facing the second new ball against James Anderson, who has bowled well in the series. He counter-attacked and changed it."

He also lauded National Cricket Academy head Rahul Dravid, whose behind the scenes work has helped in creating a solid bench strength. "That's why I say Dravid has done a great job. Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur did so well in Australia and we won the final Test without Jasprit Bumrah," Ganguly said. On his health, he said that it was a "small blemish" but he is back to work now. He will be in Ahmedabad to watch the second and third T20 Internationals. "I am fit and absolutely fine. God's been kind and it's been a small blemish. There's some adjustment. Back to work for a while now," he said. About his minor heart attack, he said: "I really don't see it as a scare. You know as you grow older, adjustments happen in the body and it was a very small one. "As they say, you need to address it immediately, cut, stitch or break and that's the best part of it."

 

[Shoaibbtt]

NZ hasn't played a test in England since 2015.

Yep but with the Dukes ball being used and their pace battery of Boult, Southee, Jamieson and Wagner it won't be easy.

A very 50/50 match i say.

 

[dravidthewall]

All the way newzealand

 

[Last Monetarist]

The fact that the match will be at the Rose Bowl does take some of the glean off from the occasion. Pity they couldn't host it at Lord's.

The pitch will suit India more than New Zealand, so Kohli should be pleased.

 

[Ab Fan]

Just to bust the myth that many seem to propagate here that NZ do well in England, when infact their record is the worst out of all teams in England.

Based on last tour, they actually do well. The previous tours to that is irrelevant in the context.

 

[rhony]

Hope so... ....I also wish the finals were a best of three....one test does make it a lottery of sorts assuming rain in june in England will have a say....
the other advantage I can see of IPL before the finals is the certain starters like Mo Shami, Jadds, Vihari, or even the bench guys like KL, umesh, kulli, hardik will get a proper go and get tuned....
its the prospect of the regulars read VK, Jinks, Che Pu (heard he's playing the IPL this time) , Rishabh, Jazzboom, ashwin, ishant getting burnt out....that's the real bother....
I defo wish BCCI had some sort of rest and relaxation pol keeping in mind the bigger pic, even in the IPL

When the WC finals of the shortest formats is a single game, it doesn't make sense for a best of three for tests. I don't think the work load of players will be managed during IPL and yes it's a bit of a worry. But India has good back up strength.

 

[AMSS]

If the middle order trio - Pujara, Virat, and Rahane - continue the form they have shown in the just concluded series against Eng, then consider India cooked.

Here in India, we had our spinners rescue us from the batting disaster. This isn't happening in England.

So what are the odds of this threesome turning their batting fortunes around in WTC final arriving days after IPL?

 

[Justcrazy]

Difficult to chose, but my Gut feelings say Kiwis will cross the line.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

After the change in venue, India.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Difficult to chose, but my Gut feelings say Kiwis will cross the line.

Depends on how many catches NZ drops.

 

[Aman]

lol is it true Southampton is the most spin friendly pitch in England?

If that's the case, India are massive favorites and if they mess it up that would be a massive choke job.

 

[Bahnz]

NZ will definitely be happier playing India than Australia (who've had a heavy psychological edge over them ever since the 2015 WC Final).

If NZ can play as well as they did against India last February I think they'll win again, especially if conditions are overcast for a significant portion of the match. India riding high at the moment though, and will have a ton of confidence. Would say the result is about a 60:40 split in NZ's favour.

 

[Bahnz]

We deserve to be in the finals and win it...dunno about NZ - not that they are not a good team-but have they beaten all comers - outside NZ?
all in all, hopefully the BCCI is proactive on this front and does the needful to put the main guys in the correct space to win in june, at Lords...
GO Indiaaa...

India definitely deserve to be in the final. Hard to say with NZ, but at the same time, not sure who deserves to advance ahead of them. England dropped a test to WI at home and were run close by Pakistan, NZ comfortably beat both opponents when they came here. Australia thumped NZ in Australia, but haven't won a series away from home at any time in the past 4 years. Yeah, NZ's WTC schedule was favourable, but at the end of the day they've been far more consistent than any other team besides India (and they've complemented their WTC performances with a series win over England in 2019).

 

[rhony]

And India lost the first test.

1 test does not allow the better team to always win.

Aus won the first test.
Eng won the first test.

India have always been slow starters. If a Final doesn't shake off the heebie-jeebies, nothing will.

 

[Chrish]

It’s pathetic to determine the winner based on one game. There is no epic series buildup like team getting all out for 36 and then coming back. This one test “series” is a joke really.

I will watch but couldn’t care less about the result.

 

[Chrish]

By the way if it’s a draw, are they going to decide the winner based on a no. of boundaries in a super over??

 

[jiduguravindra]

By the way if it’s a draw, are they going to decide the winner based on a no. of boundaries in a super over??

Lol joint winners

 

[RajBan]

By the way if it’s a draw, are they going to decide the winner based on a no. of boundaries in a super over??

Not exactly. Since it's a Test match it will be determined by number of maiden overs the team has bowled followed by number of dot balls.

 

[MenInG]

Head coach Justin Langer on Tuesday said Australia was "really slack" in not maintaining its over-rate in the Melbourne Test against India which eventually cost the team a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Australia was fined four WTC points for being two overs behind in the second Test of the four-match series.

India recently beat England 3-1 in a home Test series to set up a WTC final clash with New Zealand in June and Australia could have qualified in place of the Kiwis if not for that slow over-rate penalty.

Australia to reschedule South Africa tour 'as soon as possible'

"This might be the silliest thing I've ever said, but our manager Gavin Dovey, he'd been away, he'd gone home for Christmas to be with his family," Langer told SEN.

"It wasn't until after the game that we realised our over-rate was down. Now, that's really slack on our behalf," the head coach said.

In the WTC standing, New Zealand finished 0.3 per cent ahead of Australia, who had decided not to travel to South Africa for a Test series due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kane Williamson to miss New Zealand-Bangladesh ODI series

"I remember we were in the team room afterwards and I spoke to Painey (skipper Tim Paine) and Dene Hills, our analyst, about it. I was a bit grumpy about it and I thought 'imagine if this cost us the World Test Championship'," Langer said.

"And I mentioned it to the players afterwards that two overs down could cost us the World Test Championship. And so, we have to get better at that and make sure it doesn't happen in Sydney and Brisbane.

"It's very disappointing, but the lesson is the things that we can control, we have to control. And we can't relax for a second in Test cricket."

How the bizarre 'rotational bubble' got England stumped in India

With India hosting the T20 World Cup later this year, Langer said IPL-bound Australian players' performances in the T20 league will be taken into consideration when they sit to select the team for the ICC event.

"There's no better showcase for some of our players. They're playing in the same conditions (as the World Cup). We'll watch that really closely and see who performs well," Langer said.

"It's a great opportunity for a lot of players. They get to play a lot of cricket under pressure, that can only benefit them individually and us collectively." The IPL will run from April 9 to May 30 across six venues in India.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...er-rate-india-new-zealand/article34025399.ece

 

[JaDed]

Either its lost in translation or Aus coaches love to pass the blame.

 

[MenInG]

The final of the ICC World Test Championship between India and New Zealand will be staged in a bio-secure bubble at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton. The decision, taken by the ICC Board, follows discussions with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) where a range of options were considered to ensure the inaugural final could be staged safely with the potential impact of COVID-19 minimised for all involved.

In selecting The Hampshire Bowl, the ICC drew on ECB’s experience of delivering a full summer of bio-safe international cricket in 2020. The venue provides world-class playing and training facilities, giving both teams the best possible environment in which to prepare. Whilst the on-site accommodation will significantly reduce the risk around COVID-19 transmission and better protect the health and safety of everyone involved in delivering the final.

Should the UK government’s phased easing of COVID-19 lockdown measures proceed as planned, it is anticipated that a limited number of fans will be allowed into the Hampshire Bowl to watch the final. Fans can register their interest for tickets here.

New Zealand were the first team to make the ICC World Test Championship final and they were joined by India following their series win over England which concluded on Saturday.

Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager, Cricket said: “The ICC World Test Championship final is the pinnacle event in the Test calendar and is intended to be a week-long celebration of the oldest form of the game. A format that is rooted in tradition and features the best that the game has to offer. I would also like to congratulate both India and New Zealand for becoming part of history by reaching the first final.

“We are confident that in selecting the Hampshire Bowl, we have given ourselves the best possible chance to successfully deliver the final whilst keeping everyone involved safe and healthy and giving fans the opportunity to watch the two best Test teams in the world go head-to-head for the right to call themselves the ICC World Test Champions.

“I would like to thank the ECB for their guidance and advice to enable us to make this decision, which gives us the best possible opportunity to deliver a safe and successful World Test Championship Final.”

Tom Harrison, Chief Executive Officer, England and Wales Cricket Board said: “We are delighted that the ICC has chosen to host the inaugural World Test Championship Final at The Hampshire Bowl.

“As the world’s first fully bio-secure cricket venue, it has shown itself capable of delivering international matches to the highest of standards, even against the backdrop of a global pandemic. I am sure the finale of the ICC World Test Championship will be a wonderful occasion.”

Rod Bransgrove, Hampshire Cricket Chairman, said: “We are honoured and delighted that The Hampshire Bowl has been appointed as the host venue for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship Final. I should like to sincerely thank the ICC for this huge demonstration of confidence in our capabilities and the ECB for its significant support of the venue as host of what will be the biggest Test Match event ever staged.

“I am sure our immense pride at bringing this fixture to Hampshire will be shared by all our loyal staff, supporters and sponsors as well as our unwavering partners, Eastleigh Borough Council. We will do everything in our power to ensure that this inaugural ICC World Test Championship Final is a secure, entertaining and successful event for everyone.’’

 

[redmaverik84]

I dont know how the pitch in Southampton generally behaves. But with NZ playing Eng in a series prior to this, now acclimatized with the conditions and players that do well in swinging conditions similar to that at home, they are favorites.

India would have been favorites if this was played in any other country bar NZ and Eng

 

[OMB]

Hampshire Cricket are delighted to announce The Ageas Bowl has been selected as the host venue for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship Final in 2021.
______________________________________________________________

The Ageas Bowl, which will be known as The Hampshire Bowl for the fixture, will host one of the biggest matches in world cricket this summer after the ICC today announced the venue as the first ever host of the competition’s showpiece fixture between India and New Zealand, beginning on Friday 18th June.

Following its launch in 2019, the ICC World Test Championship will reach a climax this summer as the two top teams go head-to-head in a five-day Test Match at The Ageas Bowl, competing to be crowned ICC World Test Champions.

India secured their place in the final following their series victory over England, finishing on top of the WTC ladder after picking up 520 points from their 17 fixtures. New Zealand earned qualification after winning seven of their 11 Tests to finish with a 70% win-rate from their five qualifying series.

Following hot-on-the-heels of a 2020 schedule which saw the home of Hampshire Cricket host nine international fixtures – with all matches played behind-closed-doors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic – the venue will provide a secure and comfortable environment for all participants, officials and spectators.

Hampshire Cricket Chairman, Rod Bransgrove, said: “We are honoured and delighted that The Ageas Bowl has been appointed as the host venue for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship Final. I should like to sincerely thank the ICC for this huge demonstration of confidence in our capabilities and the ECB for its significant support of the venue as host of what will be the biggest Test Match event ever staged.

“I am sure our immense pride at bringing this fixture to Hampshire will be shared by all our loyal staff, supporters and sponsors as well as our unwavering partners, Eastleigh Borough Council. We will do everything in our power to ensure that this inaugural ICC World Test Championship Final is a secure, entertaining and successful event for everyone.’’

The ICC World Test Championship launched in August 2019, comprising of the top nine ranked teams on the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings, with teams competing in six series each across two years and points awarded based upon the result of each fixture. The competition, which was introduced to bring further context to bilateral Test cricket, honours the importance of the longest format of the game whilst ensuring a pinnacle event for the format.

 

[ChTab]

Depends on the weather, overcast conditions at Lords really work in favour of the kiwis, flip side hot and sunny flattens out Lords so I would presume it would bring India right back on equals

The Final is in Ageas Bowl, Southampton

 

[Bahnz]

I dont know how the pitch in Southampton generally behaves. But with NZ playing Eng in a series prior to this, now acclimatized with the conditions and players that do well in swinging conditions similar to that at home, they are favorites.

India would have been favorites if this was played in any other country bar NZ and Eng

Southampton has a reputation for favouring spin more than most English grounds. But English pitches usually offer very little turn early in the season, so my guess is that conditions on the whole will still favour NZ.