Kane Williamson expresses delight after ending Finals hoodoo

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has expressed his happiness following his team’s triumph in the final of the maiden edition of the World Test Championship (WTC). The Black Caps defeated India by eight wickets having been handed a target of 139 runs. This triumph marks the team’s first title win in ICC tournaments since the 2000 edition of the Champions Trophy. New Zealand were defeated in the final of the 2015 and 2019 editions of the World Cup respectively. Australia and England went on to win the prestigious tournament in those editions.

“It’s a very special occasion and a fantastic feeling having been involved in a couple of Finals previously. I suppose one was… well, the first one was one-sided, the second one was pretty interesting, and this feeling is a bit different to those, which is great. I know the guys will celebrate that,” said Williamson as quoted by ICC.

“It was the pinnacle – being involved in the Final against a formidable side like India. They certainly showed their quality and it was a lot of heart that allowed us to stay in the game for long periods. A lot of credit goes to the way our group adjusted and stayed in the battle, because it was a battle. No one with the bat got momentum at any point in time – the ball kept going past the outside edge and there were always opportunities. To have the sixth day as back-up due to weather was a good initiative and to see both teams have a real opportunity to win meant for a fantastic game. It’s a proud moment in our history and a proud moment as a team to stick to what we do well and come away with the win, which is a really great feeling,” he added.

“Having an experienced head like Ross was helpful”

Williamson was out in the middle when Ross Taylor hit the winning runs on Wednesday.

“It was fantastic to be part of a partnership and contribution like that. With Ross being our most experienced player and a leader in the group, it was nice to be able to soak up some of the pressure. Having an experienced head like Ross out there was helpful. It was a really special feeling to be there at the end together and to tick the runs off. Even though it was only 130-odd, on that surface you never felt comfortable.”

Team India skipper Virat Kohli was full of praise for the New Zealand pacers, who helped restrict India’s formidable batting line-up.

“They were very consistent, they’re a very effective side, we’ve seen that over the years, and they’re a very structured side. They like to play their cricket in a certain manner, so you have to find ways to disrupt that. If you don’t put their bowlers under pressure then they have the fitness and the consistency to keep bowling in the same areas and bowling all day,” he said.

“The more momentum you give them, invariably they get the breakthroughs they want. We need to focus on scoring runs and not worry about getting out in testing conditions. That’s the only way you can put the opposition under pressure, otherwise you’re just literally standing there, hoping you don’t get out and eventually you will because you’re not being optimistic enough. You have to take more risks, and calculated risks, and be confident about taking them,” added Kohli.

India will next take on England in a five-match Test series.