ICC World Test Championship: 5 Best Matches Of The Tournament

Published - 25 Jun 2021, 12:28 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:48 AM

Rishabh Pant
India celebrate after breaching the Australia fortress, Gabba. (Photo: Twitter)

The inaugural ICC World Test Championship has concluded with New Zealand crowned as the champions after defeating Virat Kohli’s India in an exciting final at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton

The tournament which was started in August 2019, played across two years completed on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, after the ICC had to make modifications in the points system due to all the originally scheduled matches not being able to be completed as the pandemic struck.

The maiden ICC WTC had some memorable matches, some thrillers, several one-sided wins, and a few dull draws as well. Here we look at some of the best games in this two-year period.

ICC WTC 2019-21: 5 Best Matches Of The Tournament –

England vs Australia, Leeds, 2019

Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

The ICC WTC started with a historic Ashes series in England. After Steve Smith had rocked the home fans with twin centuries at Edgbaston, but then suffered a concussion in a battle of ages with Jofr Archer, it was time for England’s 2019 World Cup final hero, Ben Stokes, to rise to the occasion and save his team from losing the urn by the third Test at Leeds.

Chaing a massive target of 359 runs, after England were bowled out for 67 in the first innings, Ben Stokes played arguably the greatest Test innings of all time. Jack Leach, who scored a vital 1* shared a 76-run tenth wicket stand with Stokes, who clobbered 8 sixes and 11 fours in his mind-boggling 135-run knock to England home with 1 wicket and keep them alive in the series.

Stokes’ Headingley feat is just extraordinary and the all-rounder had one of the greatest individual summers in the sport.

New Zealand vs Pakistan, Mount Maunganui, 2020

Mitchell Santner, New Zealand, Pakistan
Mitchell Santner celebrates with teammates. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

After the memorable Ashes, there were plenty of lopsided games in this ICC WTC cycle, with home teams romping up the series. Then the pandemic struck and the ranking system was changed by the ICC. This gave New Zealand, who had drawn a series in Sri Lanka, lost in Australia, and defeated India at home, a good chance to make it to the ICC WTC final if they all their 4 remaining matches – against West Indies and Pakistan at home.

They defeated West Indies 2-0, but the first Test against Pakistan in Mount Maunganui went down the wire, as the victory and their WTC Final spot hung in balance. On the back of Kane Williamson’s hundred the hosts set Pakistan a target of 373, which they were on course to hunt down courtesy of a middle-order hundred stand between Mohammad Rizwan and centurion Fawad Alam.

Going into the last session of the final day, the Kiwis needed 6 Pakistani wickets. After completing his century Alam lost his concentration and got out; 4 more batsmen followed Alam in quick succession.

However, the last wicket pair of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi frustrated the New Zealanders for about 8 overs. At last with just 5 more overs to see off a draw, Naseem Shah lobbed one Mitchell Santner delivery back to the bowler, which he grabbed with one hand while jumping up in the air. Frenzied scenes ensued following this catch, and the Black Caps continued on their journey to the final.

??India vs Australia, Brisbane, 2021

Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant gestures as the team celebrate victory at The Gabba in Brisbane. (Photo | AFP)

There can never be so much said, written, or talked about India’s incredible triumph in Brisbane at the turn of the year. 36 all out in Adelaide, lost key players including captain Virat Kohli; emphatic win in Melbourne; valiant draw in Sydney; lost some more players.

Rishabh Pant, the 23-year-old who has been before out of the side, pulled the entire world into his own world in the series Down Under. Shubman Gill’s 91, Cheteshwar Pujara’s 56, and then Pant’s unbeaten 89 helped India breach the fortress Gabba with just 3 wickets left in the final half an hour of the game, to record a historic series win.

Pant scored more runs against England at home and went on to book his place in India’s eleven across formats, following his remarkable form in Australia.

West Indies vs Bangladesh, Chattogram, 2021

West Indies national team
Kyle Mayers [Photo: Twitter]
Kyle Mayers did a Ben Stokes in Chattogram earlier this year; but just with more runs, away from home, on a spin-friendly pitch which is an unlikely place for a West Indies batter to succeed. To think he did this on his debut is just staggering.

Bangladesh have become a force at home having defeated the likes of England and Australia in Test matches. The pitch heavily favours spinners, which Mayers smashed for 7 towering sixes and 20 fours in his record debut of 210*, completing an improbable chase of 395 runs! West Indies had slipped to 292/5 and were headed for a loss.

But Mayers got support in Joshua Da Silva at the other end as both shared a 100-run partnership; 20 in that were made by Da Silva, rest it was all Mayers show.

ICC WTC Final: New Zealand vs India, Southampton, 2021

New Zealand Cricket Team, ICC World Test Championship Final
New Zealand Cricket Team (Image Credit: Twitter)

There were a few other games as well which were thrillers, such as the Cape Town Test when England, once again with the help of Ben Stokes, prevailed over South Africa in the game which went down to its last 10 overs, or the second Test between Bangladesh and West Indies, which the visitors won by a small margin of 17 runs; or when West Indies recorded a 4-wicket win in Southampton last year in the first Test in the bio-bubble.

But it was the ICC WTC Final itself between India and New Zealand which was so closely fought between the two of best Test sides in the world, and the two bowling strong bowling attacks. Despite two days being washed out by rain, both the teams put on an engrossing play, with the Black Caps emerging victorious.

There was no inch given by any bowling attack – the run rate of below 2.5 till Day 6 was at historically lower levels. This was a result of consistent and accurate bowling from the two revered bowling cartels.

This game went down to the last hour of the Reserve Day, with India not allowing easy runs in New Zealand’s chase of 139. A thoroughly captivating spectacle was put up by both the teams, in which it was India who blinked first with their batting frailties once again coming to the fore.

Also Read: WTC Final: Details Of Prize Money Won By New Zealand And India

Tagged:

ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Kyle Mayers Rishabh Pant Team India
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