STUMPY'S SHORT SHOTS
- RICK DREWER
BELIEVE it or not, the first ever
World Test Cricket Championship
final has been played and
won in Southampton.
For many cricket lovers and followers,
they may be excused if they
missed it, more than likely due to
the deafening silence, given the occasion,
by the Australian media.
Unquestionably, the best two
Test teams in the world – India
and New Zealand – played off for
the title. This was the classic David
v Goliath story as the Kiwis,
with a population of just under
five million, fronted up against
the Test powerhouse India, with a
cricket-mad population 280 times
that of the Land of the Long White
Cloud.
Seemingly, everything about
this clash was a mismatch. The
Board of Control for Cricket in
India is valued at about $3 billion,
while New Zealand Cricket has recorded
a number of losses in recent
years, only managing to go into the
black in the last 12 months.
India, with a depth of talent so
vast that its 15-member squad
named for this final could not find
room for Shardul Thakur – their
match-winner against Australia
in Brisbane – or Axar Patel, their
champion against England at
home. While the Black Caps were
a well-prepared squad, it all starts
in the front office, and with some
really strong systems in place to
support its top cricketers.
This was blatantly obvious in
its two-match Test series against
England, acclimatising to the conditions
in preparation for the final,
not only winning it 1-0, but debuting
opener-in-waiting Devon Conway,
who peeled of a lazy 200 at
his first attempt in Test cricket.
In doing so, Conway became only
the second New Zealander, and the
seventh player, ever to do so.
What the Kiwis lack in depth,
they make up with maximising
their shallow resources, their offfield
solidarity and their on-field
grit. By contrast, India has arguably
40-plus players of international
standard.
Without a doubt, the major factor
separating the sides, and hopefully
something that our Aussie
quicks could learn, was the ability
of our neighbours to bowl at
the stumps and keep the ball up,
forcing the batsmen to play. Fancy
that – what a revolutionary new
method to use and be able to take
20 wickets to win a World Test
Championship.
Kane Williamson, on a difficult
batting track, with 49 and 54 notout,
again showed why he is the
No. 2 Test batsman in the world,
together with Tim Southee and
Neil Wagner, the third and fifthranked
bowlers in the world.
Add giant quick Kyle Jamieson,
who won man-of-the-match with
figures of 7/62 and a Test bowling
average of 14 over his eight Tests,
and it’s a pretty useful attack.
It’s just as well the Aussies
didn’t make it, as our record
against the moving Dukes ball in
England in recent times is simply
embarrassing.
What a victory for our Kiwi
friends – perhaps the most successful
sporting country in the
world per capita.
Have your say:
Contact Rick at
editor@bunyippress.com.au
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