The final match of the World Test Championship between India and New Zealand will be played from June 18 to June 22 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.
The World Test Championship Final which was delayed since 2013 is finally happening in 2021 but under the threat of rainfall. It is pouring down heavily at Southampton. The first session on Day 1 has been washed out due to rain.
If the entire day gets washed out, we have a reserve day - June 23 - and remember in case of a tie or draw, the Test Championship mace will be shared by India and New Zealand.
From India's point of view, Virat Kohli's batting form is very important in the Ind vs NZ WTC final. Virat had scored many runs, the last time he visited England, so the team will have high hopes from skipper in the WTC final. However, the Indian captain has not been scoring runs recently in the longest format of game for some time now. Since November 2019, Virat has not scored a single century.
India's team has announced its playing XI for the Ind vs NZ WTC Final. Veteran Ishant Sharma's experience has been given priority over Mohammad Siraj's current form.
India has picked three pacers and two spinners. While the Top 5 remain as expected. The batting order - Rohit Sharma, Shubhman Gill, Virat Kohli, Pujara, Rahane and Rishabh Pant - was more or less predictable.
India Playing XI for WTC Final 2021: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah