The final of the World Test Championship (WTC) between India
and New Zealand would be played in the Ageas Bowl in Southampton from June 18
to June 23, with June 24 being kept as a reserve day, as per news agency ANI,
who stated BCCI President Rajiv Shukla as having confirmed the latest
development of the tournament.
With a 3-1 series win over England, India on Saturday entered
the finals with a 72.2 percentage points, which became a crucial factor, rather
than total points won by the side throughout the championship. The points
system was changed to the same tune following coronavirus pandemic-led
disruptions.
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“Yes, the final will be played in Southampton keeping
an eye on the COVID situation,” ANI quoted Shukla as saying.
“That victory against England means India finish the
league phase of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship with a fine view from
the top of the table,” International Cricket Council (ICC), on the other
hand, tweeted on Saturday.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reportedly said that India
would give its best shot at acquiring the title.
“For people like me, Pujara (Cheteshwar), Rahane
(Ajinkya), and Ishant (Sharma), who did not play the 2019 World Cup, this is
literally the World Cup. I also saw Ishant speaking about it. I am happy for
every member for making it to the finals. I am sure we can get a positive
result if we adapt quickly because we just have one match as the final. It
would have been nicer if we had three, but we just have one, we have to live
with that and we will try to give our best shot,” Ashwin was quoted as
saying.
India’s opponents in the final, New Zealand were the first
team to secure their berth in the ultimate game with 70 percentage points.
