Better Team Won In The Conditions - India Coach Ravi Shastri Congratulates The "Deserved Winners" Of The WTC
Updated - 24 Jun 2021, 07:00 PM
India Head coach Ravi Shastri took to Twitter to congratulate New Zealand for winning the inaugural ICC World Test Championship. Kane Williamson’s side defeated India at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton by 8 wickets on Day 6 (Reserve Day) of the final.
New Zealand were required to chase down 139 runs in about a little over 50 overs, which they did inside 46 overs, bagging their first ICC title since the ICC Knockout tournament in 2000 when they defeated Sourav Ganguly’s Indian side.
Ravi Shastri says that the Kiwis are the “deserved winners” of this two-year cycle where they won 7 out of the 11 matches played. The coach asserted that New Zealand were the better team in the final in those conditions, where their seamers had a massive influence on the result.
“Better team won in the conditions. Deserved winners after the longest wait for a World Title. Classic example of Big things don’t come easy. Well played, New Zealand. Respect,” Ravi Shastri tweeted.
Better team won in the conditions. Deserved winners after the longest wait for a World Title. Classic example of Big things don't come easy. Well played, New Zealand. Respect.
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) June 24, 2021
A best-of-three final will be ideal: Ravi Shastri
Earlier Ravi Shastri had opined that a best-of-three final should be the way to go in deciding the winner of a Test Championship which runs for two years. However, the 59-year-old understands that having such an event will be logistically challenging considering the pandemic.
“Ideally, in the long run, if they want to persist with the Test Championship, a best-of-three final will be ideal. As a culmination of two-and-a-half years of cricket around the globe. Going forward, best of three will be ideal, but we have got to finish it as quickly as possible because the FTP will start all over again,” the coach had said before the final.
Captain Virat Kohli too echoed thoughts similar to Ravi Shastri. After the game, on Wednesday, saying that he is ” not in absolute agreement” with a one-off final, but instead should be a 3 match Test series to decide the World Champions.
“Well, look, firstly, I’m not in absolute agreement of deciding the best Test side in the world over the course of one game, to be very honest. If it is a Test series, it has to be a test of character over three Tests, which team has the ability to come back into the series or totally blow away the other team.
“It can’t just be a pressure applied over two days of good cricket and then you suddenly are not a good Test side anymore. I don’t believe in that,” Kohli said after the loss.
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ICC World Test Championship (WTC) New Zealand Cricket Team Ravi Shastri Virat Kohli
