New Zealand pacer Tim Southee on Friday (June 25) revealed that the Kiwis were working on winning the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) for the last two years, saying the WTC triumph will take at least a couple of weeks to sink in.
New Zealand bowlers put up a brilliant performance on the reserve day of the WTC 2021 Final in Southampton to bundle out India for 170 and then Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor took the Kiwis over the line while chasing the target of 139 to script a memorable eight-wicket win on Wednesday (June 23).
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Southee said in a video interview released by New Zealand Cricket, “It is amazing to be part of this team. We have been working for this (WTC final win) for the last two years. Not only the 15 players but others probably in the last 5-6 years (have contributed) to get us to where we are now. It is very special. We had come very close to a few tournaments. It is yet to sink in and may take a couple of weeks.”
He believes that the crucial wickets of Virat Kohli (13 off 29 balls) and Cheteshwar Pujara (15 off 80 balls) on the final day by Kyle Jamieson set up New Zealand’s WTC title victory in Southampton.
The senior pacer further added, “We knew it was going to be tough on the final day, three results were possible then and the first hour to be crucial. But picking up the two wickets in that period was crucial in the end. I have never experienced 139 runs taking so long (to chase down) and there was a lot of nervous energy in the change room.”
Chasing a 139-run target in the WTC final in Southampton, Ross Taylor scored unbeaten 47 runs along with a third-wicket partnership of 96 runs with skipper Kane Williamson (52* runs) to beat India by 8 wickets on Wednesday to be crowned as WTC winners.
Southee said on the two senior stars, “We had two experienced guys among us who are synonymous with this team not only in the last two years but also probably in the last 7-8 years. To have them, it was very calming for the guys in the change room.”
Meanwhile, opening batsman Tom Latham said: “For me, to be involved in the 2015 and 2019 World Cup, to come so close and then come across the line here in a completely different format, a new format that hasn't been contested before is great.”
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Latham added, “From our point of view to win a Test championship final was probably the biggest occasion. We played some really good cricket leading up to it.”
On wicketkeeper BJ Watling, who retired from international cricket after the WTC final, Southee said, "He is a champion bloke and he has given his best throughout his career. He deserved to finish like this."
He signed off by saying, "He's been the heart and soul of this group, he's often been the guy who goes unnoticed, he just goes about his business without any fuss. He's been the guy in the crisis for us, we are going to miss him."
(With PTI Inputs)
