ICC World Test Championship Final: 5 Batsmen To Watch Out For

The ICC World Test Championship final set to be contested from the 18th to the 22nd of June in Southampton promises to be an exciting affair. India and New Zealand, after two years of hard work and determination, will lock horns to claim the ultimate prize in red-ball cricket. The two sides almost seem neck to neck across departments to oust one another.

With the conditions in England likely to be bowling friendly for the best part of five days, bowlers will predictably have a greater say in the game. Hence, with India and New Zealand having highly penetrative bowling attacks, both should fancy their key bowlers to run through the opposition. Thus, both the batting line-up, while competent, need to exemplify the required discipline and concentration to neutralize any advantage the bowlers get.

We take a look at the top five batsmen to watch out for in the ICC World Test Championship Final:

Rishabh Pant:

Rishabh Pant has been in sensational form in the last few months in Test cricket. After playing an instrumental role in the historic series win in Australia, the 23-year old also had an unforgettable home series against England. The southpaw has a formidable record in red-ball cricket, having smashed 1358 runs in 20 Tests at 45.27 with three centuries and six fifties.

New Zealand bowling coach Shane Jurgensen has already been wary of the swashbuckling keeper-batsman, terming him as a game-changer and that the bowlers need to be on point against him. But Jurgensen also understands that Pant provides as much wicket-taking opportunities. The youngster, who has already performed well in the ongoing intra-squad practice game, will have a vital role to play in the decider.

Virat Kohli:

Indian captain Virat Kohli has been in decent form of late; however, he has not piled the runs in the volume he is known for. More notably, Virat Kohli has not scored an international hundred since November 2019 and has come close on a few occasions, but he missed it. The 32-year old would be eager to break his drought in the big match.

Along with that, Kohli’s team selection would also be under the scanner as India remain one step behind an ICC silverware under the right-handed batsman’s captaincy. Often, he has copped criticism for questionable team combinations and failing to get the runs in crucial games. He would aim to get all these things right on this occasion.

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Kane Williamson:

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson started the two-Test series against England as the number one batsman. However, Kane Williamson has not notched up the required amount of runs ahead of the final against India in Southampton. The classy right-handed batsman made 13 and 1 in Lord’s before injury concerns forced him to miss the second Test.

Though Kane Williamson is not in doubt for the decider against the Indian team, he might find it challenging to play with an unsettled back. Nevertheless, as the Kiwis’ batting mainstay, Williamson needs to give a significant performance in the final and he would be keen to do the same. After upsetting India in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, Williamson would be embarking on doing the same in red-ball cricket.

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Cheteshwar Pujara:

Cheteshwar Pujara has been the fulcrum of the Indian Test team for the past 3-4 years and has played an integral role in their rise. The right-handed batsman has proved himself as the rock, holding the Indian batting line-up together and excelling even in the adverse of conditions. Pujara currently has 6244 runs in 85 Tests at 46.60 with 18 centuries.

Cheteshwar Pujara, 33, might be embarking on his last England tour and has struggled to score those daddy hundreds of late. But the 33-year old holds the batting line-up together and knows how to weather the storm. Pujara’s role at number three would be crucial since Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will likely struggle against the moving ball in England.

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Devon Conway:

New Zealand’s latest opening opener Devon Conway has had an outstanding start to his Test career. Devon Conway scored a double hundred at the Lord’s on his Test debut and scored another half-century at Edgbaston against the hosts. After his exploits in the T20 arena, the southpaw has settled in the longest format very well.

But Devon Conway will likely face his most significant challenge against India when the likes of Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah bowl the new ball. But after playing well and scoring runs against the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad in their backyard, the South African born batsman should feel confident.

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