New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has expressed his excitement at the prospect of featuring in the finale of the first ever World Test Championship. After Australia pulled out of the South Africa tour in the eleventh hour, New Zealand became the first team to qualify for the WTC final.
The newly introduced World Test Championship has added far more context to bilateral Test series than ever before. Top teams have been fighting hard to make it to the finals of the WTC and after the forced stoppage due to the pandemic, Test cricket returned last year and, with it, the contest between teams to make it top two of the WTC. Australia, one of the prime contenders to make it to the finale of the WTC, have majorly reduced their chances of making it to the top two after they pulled out of their tour to South Africa owing to prevailing cases of COVID in South Africa.
However, Australia’s pull out ensured that New Zealand reached the final of the WTC that will be played at the Lord’s from June 18-22. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has expressed his happiness and excitement at the prospect of playing the final of the WTC.
“It’s exciting to play in the final of the first (World) Test Championship. Adding the Test Championship has added context to Test cricket and it has been a really interesting move,” Williamson told Youtube channel ‘Sports Today’, reported TOI.
“I think we have seen that more so in recent months, where sides have made players benefit from opportunities to advance themselves into the final and that’s really exciting,” the Black Caps skipper added.
Both India and England are still in contention to make it to the top two. If the hosts India win the series with two wins or more, they will reach the finale while the Three Lions will need to win at least three Tests to play the final against New Zealand. India will lock horns with England in the Test series opener in Chennai from February 5 onwards.
