New Zealand are ICC World Test Champions after beating India inside the final hour of a nail-biting reserve day at the Hampshire Bowl, wrapping up an eight-wicket win with a boundary from Ross Taylor.
Kane Williamson and Taylor calmed New Zealand nerves during a chase of 139 from 53 overs – a target that was just testing enough to give India a chance, particularly after Ravichandran Ashwin had dismissed both openers in a dangerous spell after tea. But Williamson (52*) and Taylor (47*) bided their time and built a match-winning partnership of 96, with Taylor hitting the winning runs to ensure that New Zealand win the first-ever World Test Championship mace. India’s innings had seen them lose eight wickets for 106 runs on the day and left New Zealand needing a gettable 139 in 53 overs. It was a day when everything went haywire for India and poor captaincy made matters worse. This is New Zealand’s first ICC title in two decades. In fact, their first ICC trophy came when they had beaten India in the final of the Champions Trophy in 2000. The Kane Williamson-led side, which had agonisingly lost the ODI World Cup 2019 final to England on the boundary-count rule, chased down the 139-run target with eight wickets in hand on the reserve day of the final.
