A Best Of Three Final Would Have Been Ideal: Ravi Shastri Bats For 'Best Of Three Finals' For Future World Test Championships

Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has said that his boys have earned the stripes by finishing at the numero-uno spot in the ICC World Test Championship points table and quality for the summit clash against New Zealand.

The former all-rounder believes that the inaugural World Test Championship final is worth the hype but reckoned that a best of three finals would have been ideal instead of a standalone game.

India will lock horns with New Zealand in the summit clash of the inaugural WTC final at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton between June 18-22 and Shastri is one of the many people who have questioned the concept of having just one Test to decide the fate of a two-year-long championship.

“This is the first time you have a Test Championship final. I think this is the biggest ever by the magnitude. It is the toughest form of the game. It is a format that tests you and it has happened over two years where teams have played each other around the world. The event is worth the hype,” said Ravi Shastri during the virtual press conference ahead of the team’s departure for England.

“In the long run, if they want to pursue with the Test championship. A best of three final would have been ideal. We got to finish it as quickly as possible due to the FTP. The guys have earned their stripes. Yep.his team has not suddenly blossomed overnight,” he added.

”Final is a great victory for the boys, really”-  Ravi Shastri

Meanwhile, Indian skipper Virat Kohli admitted that featuring in the inaugural World Test Championship final holds a lot of value for him and his team as it is a reflection of the giant strides that the No.1 ranked Test team has taken during the course of the last 6-7 years.

“This holds a lot of value. All of us take a lot of pride in Test cricket and the way we have progressed as a side says what Test cricket means to us. It is the hard work of the last five or six years when we started building as a side.” said Virat Kohli.

Ravi Shastri further heaped high praise on his team, stating that playing in the final is a great victory for his boys given the manner in which they gave pulled themselves up despite facing numerous challenges in the last two years.

 “Over the last two years, this side has pulled itself up and gone on to win series. When you start being on top, you have that ability. Not just Australia and England, there have been many times where this side has fought the problems. Final is a great victory for the boys, really,” he added.

India lost just one series out of the six that they contested during the WTC cycle and the only team to beat them (New Zealand) will be their opponents in the marquee encounter. If the Kohli-led unit can beat New Zealand, then it will be a fruitful culmination of what has been a fairytale WTC campaign for Team India.

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