Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar believes that New Zealand will have “a slight edge” over India in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship final next month, given the weather and pitch conditions in England.
India and New Zealand will battle out in the WTC Final to be crowned as champions at the Rose Bowl in Southampton from June 18. Before the WTC Final, the New Zealand team will play a two-match Test series in England, while India will play a five-match Test series after the final in the UK.
Manjrekar believes that the weather and seaming pitches in England suit New Zealand more than the Indians, which may give them a slight edge over Team India in the WTC Final in Southampton.
In his column for the Hindustan Times, Manjrekar wrote: “To summarise based on just weather and pitch conditions, NZ may have a slight edge at Southampton; they are just a little more at home than India and have players, especially bowlers, naturally suited to exploit such conditions.”
Recalling India’s Test series defeat in New Zealand last year, the commentator said: “Indian bowling is efficient, but in NZ they paid a heavy price for hitting the deck too much and not bowling the ball full and getting it to swing as the Kiwi bowlers did.”
However, Manjrekar admitted that the Indian cricket team has the ability to beat New Zealand within three days if the WTC final was held in India, but it is in England and they are a much bigger hurdle for the No.1 Test side to cross to win the trophy next month in Southampton.
He explained, “If the World Test Championship final is held in India, New Zealand would be sent packing by the hosts inside three days, but that it’s going to be played in England, and that too in the first half of the English summer, makes NZ a much bigger hurdle for India to cross to win the WTC.”
The former batsman also said the WTC final will be the biggest test for Rohit Sharma as the Test opener. He added, “Rohit Sharma will have to change his instinct and character as a batsman to succeed unless the sun is out all the time. This will be the biggest test for Rohit Sharma the Test opener.”
On India’s batting line-up, Manjrekar further noted: “Word spreads quickly and NZ bowlers would know the place to bowl to Shubman Gill is on a good length outside off, hopefully, he has worked on his technique. Cheteshwar Pujara remains India’s ‘warranty’ if things start falling apart. Ajinkya Rahane would be hit and miss like he has been for a few seasons now. Let’s see if India is impressed enough with Hanuma Vihari’s defiant game last he played for India to give him a Test place straightaway.”
The commentator said India captain Virat Kohli and young Rishabh Pant will be game-changers for Team India and New Zealand shouldn’t take them lightly in the WTC final.
He signed off by saying, “Kohli will be India’s game-changer with the bat. Game changer No. 2 will be Rishabh Pant. The number that he bats at if NZ thinks they are through with the Indian batting after picking the top 5 they would have made the biggest mistake that could cost them the game.”
(Hindustan Times inputs)
