Former New Zealand head coach Mike Hesson reckons the upcoming World Test Championship final (June 18-22) will test the captaincy mettle of both Kane Williamson and Indian skipper Virat Kohli.
In an interview with Times of India, Hesson stressed how Williamson and Kohli are polar opposite personalities, with unique styles of approaching the game. But both have one thing in common, in that they are strong leaders.
“Both are very good leaders and yes, both are different in styles of captaincy. The players want to follow which is a great sign for any leader. Kane is more of a slow-burn in the sense that he likes to put pressure over a period of time. Virat, on the other hand, is constantly looking for ways to put his side in the driver’s seat.”
Hesson said.
While Kohli has been a mighty successful captain for India in Test match cricket, Williamson also has been managing the Kiwis’ limited but highly skilful talent pool quite commendably.
“The WTC final will be a test of captaincy for both Kane and Virat. As the wicket changes from day to day, it will be interesting to see how both Kane and Virat make those little tweaks in their strategies to stay ahead of the game.”
he added.
Hesson also gave his views on whether the decision taken by the ICC to share the WTC trophy in case of a draw is justified, saying it is quite fair for two teams to lift the trophy together if there is no outright result, having also fought their way through the two-year-long league stage.
Hesson was also asked for views on the possibility of adopting a best-of-three finals series for the future WTC cycles, but the renowned coach left the onus on ICC to decide for the same.
