The contest, initially heading towards a draw, took an unexpected turn on the sixth day when Virat Kohli & Co. lost wickets in quick succession and could only give a target of 139 runs. The Kiwis chased the total comfortably with eight wickets to spare, clinching the maiden WTC title.
However, the game was equally poised at the end of the fifth day, with India having a lead of 32 runs and eight wickets in hand.
Indian batters were outclassed by the Kiwi pacers and left hungry for a sturdy partnership.
Talking about the same, former Indian skipper Sachin Tendulkar opined that India faltered from sealing the mace when their premier batters – Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara – got out within a span of ten deliveries. Both of them were dismissed by Kyle Jamieson, who was also awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for picking up seven scalps in the summit clash.
Tendulkar congratulated the Black Caps for their historic win and pointed out the reason behind India’s downfall through his tweet.
“Congrats @BLACKCAPS on winning the #WTC21. You were the superior team. #TeamIndia will be disappointed with their performance. As I had mentioned the first 10 overs will be crucial & India lost both Kohli & Pujara in the space of 10 balls & that put a lot of pressure on the team (sic),” Tendulkar tweeted.
Meanwhile, New Zealand repatriated back to their country after winning the maiden WTC title, whereas India would be staying back in the United Kingdom (UK) to battle it out against the hosts during a five-match red-ball series starting from August 4.
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