Former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond was really happy with the way the New Zealand team performed on Day 2 of the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship (WTC) and felt the Kiwis couldn’t have asked for a better scenario to face India.
The Kane Williamson and Co. are coming into the final of a 1-0 Test series win over England to Team India who has no game practice.
“We couldn't have asked for a better scenario to play India in England with no practice. Us coming off two Test matches. We are primed to win something,” said Bond on the TOI Sportscast.
“So I am hoping that some of the hard luck stories that we have had in the last couple of World Cups, we will flip the script this time and lift up that mace and be the champions, which will be pretty special, pretty cool for our sport over here, because cricket is the number two sport in the country and for us to achieve that (win WTC Final) will be fantastic,” he added.
New Zealand has made it to the last two World Cup finals (in 2015 and in 2019) but has ended up on the losing side both times. Shane Bond feels the way their team has performed in the last 8 years despite being a small country is really commendable.
"We are a very small country. Always seen as the dark horse, the underdog. In the last eight years in particular the team has made two World Cup finals and tied one. That's the way I see it. And got really close," said Bond.
The right-arm quick then also talked about the effect of winning the WTC final against India will have on the sport in New Zealand.
“For a country of our population, our resources, our finances to do that and now find ourselves in the WTC (final) is an incredible effort. And I know everybody here is very excited about the Test match and think that we have a huge chance of winning,” the 46-year-old signed off.
(With Times of India Inputs)
