New Zealand will look to make amends when they take on India in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final from June 18 to 22. mid-day.com takes a look at five New Zealand players Virat Kohli’s India should be wary of.
(clockwise) Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Kylie Jamieson
New Zealand have won an ICC trophy just once (Champions Trophy in 2000). Kane Williamson’s men missed winning the 2019 ICC World Cup by a whisker after they went down to hosts England in the Super Over at Lord's.
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New Zealand will look to make amends when they take on India in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final from June 18 to 22.
mid-day.com takes a look at five New Zealand players Virat Kohli’s India should be wary of.
Kane Williamson (Pic/ AP,PTI)
World No. 1 Test batsman Kane Williamson will look to lead New Zealand from the front in a crucial encounter against India. The skipper is in the form of his life in the longest format of the game having scored three consecutive centuries (v West Indies and Pakistan), including two double tons before the start of the Test series in England. The Indians will look to unsettle the Kiwis’ batting line-up by dismissing Williamson early as Kohli’s men are well aware of the threat posed by the New Zealand skipper.
Henry Nicholls (Pic/ AFP)
Henry Nicholls was in terrific form in the last three Test matches, before the Lord’s Test, scoring 398 runs including two centuries and one half-century. His 174 and 157 helped the Kiwis register a big win over West Indies and Pakistan respectively. The middle-order batsman amassed 398 runs in three matches, including two scores over 150. Nicholls, who recently tied the knot with Lucy, will hope to continue piling up the runs against England and then India.
Trent Boult (Pic AP, PTI)
Trent Boult was not at his best in IPL-14, having claimed eight wickets in seven matches for Mumbai Indians, but the left-arm pacer has the ability to make a strong comeback in Test cricket. With 281 wickets in just 71 Tests at a miserly economy rate of 2.98, the pacer is capable of putting the opponent under pressure. His ability to swing the ball both ways makes Boult a vital cog in the Kiwis’ bowling line-up.
Tim Southee (Pic/ Getty Images)
Tim Southee has been the highest wicket-taker for the Kiwis in World Test Championship - 51 scalps in 10 matches - including three fifers. The right-arm pacer will be confident of putting up a solid show in the final after having troubled the Indian batsmen during last year’s home Test series (14 wickets in two Tests).
Kyle Jamieson (Pic/ AFP)
The tall Kyle Jamieson has played only six Test matches for New Zealand (before the series against England) but has made a big impression, claiming 36 wickets in six Tests, including four fifers and one 10-wicket match-haul. He has been a big asset for the team with the bat too, scoring 226 runs at an average of 56.50. The 6 ft 8 inch-tall pacer can trouble batsmen with his height and has the ability to extract extra bounce from the surface.
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