 "Ajinkya Rahane celebrates after hitting a ton against Australia in boxing day Test. Photo: @BCCI")
Virat Kohli will lead the Indian cricket team in the maiden ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will begin on June 18 at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton, against New Zealand. After defeating two of the finest Test-playing teams, Australia and England, in a bilateral series, India qualified for the WTC final.
IND vs NZ: Top Indian bowler in WTC
IND vs NZ: Top Indian bowler in WTC
The cricketing calendar got disturbed due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic last year, thus ICC cricket committee changed points system of WTC, making percentage points as the criteria for qualification. India remained at the top of the points table with 12 wins in 17 games while New Zealand came second with 7 wins in 11 matches.
The Indian cricket team would struggle to adapt to the English conditions, whereas New Zealand will view the WTC final as their best chance to win an ICC title as it will square off with England in a two-match Test series before facing India in the WTC final.
India's top batsmen in ICC WTC
The onus will be on India's star-studded batting line-up, which includes Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane, to give the team its best shot at winning the inaugural World Test Championship.
Rohit began opening during a bilateral series against South Africa in India, when he scored two double hundreds and established his dominance as an opener in Test cricket. The Mumbaikar was given numerous chances in the middle order, but he failed to cement his spot before team management asked him to open the batting. In the WTC cycle, Rohit Sharma has amassed 1,030 runs in 17 innings, averaging 64.37, with four hundred and two fifties.
IND vs NZ final prize money, WTC playing conditions, Follow-on rule
IND vs NZ final prize money, WTC playing conditions, Follow-on rule
Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has most runs in WTC for India as he scored 1,095 runs in 28 innings at an average of 43.8, including three centuries and six fifties. Rahane has been a trusted assistant to India’s charismatic captain Kohli and as a stand-in skipper, he led India to a dramatic 2-1 series win in Down Under after India was bundled out for a mere 36 in the first Test at Adelaide.
