NEW DELHI: Former Indian batsman VVS Laxman was more than pleased at New Zealand winning the World Test Championship final against India, even though he hoped that Virat Kohli and his men ended up as eventual winners.
In his column for the Times of India, Laxman wrote, “New Zealand were popular, worthy and deserving winners of the inaugural World Test Championship, turning in the kind of all-round performance in the final that the world has come to expect of them.
While, as an Indian, I was rooting for Virat Kohli and his boys to come through, India’s defeat was somewhat softened by the fact that the man who lifted the mace was Kane Williamson, someone I have come to know really well over the last few years at Sunrisers Hyderabad.” New Zealand’s victory came two years after New Zealand lost the Cricket World Cup final on countback at Lord’s.
For six players – Williamson, Taylor, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls – who appeared in both finals, there was some consolation for 2019.
“Watching the grace and equanimity with which Kane reacted on Wednesday when Ross Taylor brought up the winning runs took me back to the scenes at the end of the World Cup final in 2019.
New Zealand had lost the cup without losing the final, and when I saw Kane at the ground not long after the match, he just put his hands on my shoulders and said, “Oh, Lax!” You could hear the pain in his voice, but that was about it.
He wasn’t overwhelmed by the outcome, just like he didn’t go over the top after the WTC win,” Laxman added.
Typical of a match which was gripping despite being disrupted by two washed out days and bad light, the finish was tense on the reserve day.
India, 64/2 overnight, were bowled out for 170 in their second innings before tea, leaving New Zealand 139 to win in an extended 53 overs.
“India will be hurting, especially at their ordinary second-innings batting performance.
They had handled more difficult conditions in the first innings with greater aplomb, but in the best batting conditions of the Test on Day Six, they didn’t do enough to even secure a draw that would have given them a share of the spoils.
For a team that prides itself on taking adversity in its stride, the manner of the defeat rather than the result itself must be galling.
New Zealand exposed a few technical inadequacies in the top order that England must have taken note of.
India have plenty of issues to address between now and the start of the five-Test series.
They will contemplate some hard decisions, as Virat has already indicated, but knowing the team, I am sure they will use the Southampton Test as a spur to greater things,” Laxman concluded.