Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli asserted that a one-off Test for the WTC doesn’t give justice to 3 years of hard work, and the best of three series should be introduced from next cycle.
The inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) will conclude with the final between New Zealand and India at Southampton from June 18. Indian cricket team left for the UK on Wednesday night, June 2.
Captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri held a press conference ahead of their departure. Shastri understands that given the pandemic and tight schedule, it might not have been possible this time but in the future, a three-match series between the top 2 sides should be ideal to decide the WTC champion.
“Ideally, in the long run, if they want to persist with the Test Championship, a best-of-three final will be ideal. As a culmination of two-and-a-half years of cricket around the globe. Going forward, the best of three might be ideal, but we have got to finish it as quickly as possible because the FTP will start all over again.”
“It’s the first time you have a Test Championship final. When you look at that and the magnitude of the game that will be played, I think this is the biggest. If not the biggest ever. Because it’s the toughest format of the game. It is a format that tests you,”
Shastri added.
Captain Kohli concurred the coach’s thoughts expressing how proud they are to play the final after years of hard work as a Test unit. Under Kohli’s leadership India has seen an incredible rise in Test cricket, being invincible at home and showing immense fight in overseas conditions.
In this WTC cycle, India have been the best team by some distance. From August 2019 to March 2021, India played six Test series, winning five out of those. The only series defeat came against the other finalists NZ in their backyard. India have played 17 Tests in the cycle, winning 12 out of those. It included the historic series win in Australia earlier this year.
Having dominated the Test format in such fashion for two years, it could be unfair to have the WTC decided by a one-off Test. To make it fair for both the teams and to truly elevate the WTC event, the best of three is the way forward.
India have been one of the best teams in all formats in the last few years but haven’t won any ICC trophy since 2013. They’ve suffered several heartbreaks in the knockout stages, including the Champions Trophy 2017 finals against Pakistan and the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-finals against New Zealand.
The WTC final offers India a golden chance to end the drought of ICC trophies. Captain Kohli has assured that his team will not carry any mental baggage from the previous losses.
India will undergo a soft quarantine of three days upon their arrival in the UK, after which they will start training. New Zealand are playing a two-match series against England ahead of the World Test Championship final.
