Southampton: New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson applauded his team for their special win after they defeated India by eight wickets in the inaugural World Test Championship Final on Wednesday.
This is also the first time in 21 years New Zealand have won any ICC trophy since the Champions Trophy in 2000. Williamson himself contributed 57 runs and his unbeaten 96-run stand with Ross Taylor in the chase of 139 against India wrote history.
It wasn’t very long ago Williamson’s New Zealand received a painful defeat against England in the 2019 World Cup final. The Kiwi skipper said the pain of losing two ICC World Cup finals in the past makes their win at Southampton even more special.
“It’s a special feeling. It’s nice to get one under the belt. I’d like to thank Virat and the Indian team. The heart that our team showed was commendable. It’s the first time we have come away with a world title, and the 22 players who played a big part in getting across the line deserve all the appreciation. This will be remembered for a long time,” Williamson said at the post match press conference.
“This will be remembered for a long time. We don’t always have all the stars, and we saw that in this match. We saw so much heart and commitment. We know how strong the Indian side is, in all conditions.”
Williamson also became the second New Zealand captain to win a ICC trophy after Stephen Fleming in 2000. “It’s a fickle game, in a one-off final. It ebbed and flowed, no one really had the upper hand for six days, and I’m happy we’re on the right side of it. It was certainly tough going in the first innings. The lower order played with more freedom and got us a lead that gave us an edge,” Williamson added
New Zealand had many heroes throughout the Test series, but their ultimate hero in the fourth innings was probably Taylor. Taylor, who adjudged the Man of the Match for the Kiwis, is also the highest international run-getter for the side, who hit the winning runs and shut the door on India in the last session.
“Ross is obviously very experienced and calm in these situations and it was great to be with him right there at the end. BJ Watling I don’t know if he’s retiring anymore actually (jokes). He’s a scrappy player, so this is a fitting end to a fantastic career for BJ Watling.” Williamson concluded.
