Dilip Vengsarkar picks 'the better team' ahead of India vs New Zealand WTC final

Ex-selector Dilip Vengsarkar has picked the 'the better team' ahead of the India vs New Zealand WTC final. India and New Zealand who are currently the top two Test sides will be battling it out in a one-off Test match for the biggest prize in the longest format of the game. 

'Man to man', India looks the better team': Dilip Vengsarkar

"If you compare the New Zealand team to the Indian team, man to man, India looks the better team. "Of course, Trent Boult is a world-class bowler and Kane Williamson is a world-class batsman. But India is a more all-round team. We have got quality spinners, we have got quality fast bowlers and quality batters as well", said Dilip Vengsarkar while speaking to Khaleej Times.

"There are talented players in the team.  Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, they are world-class cricketers. But it is also important for other players to chip in, you know because you can't depend only on two players. If you are playing Test match cricket, everybody has to contribute," the 1983 World Cup winner added.

Can Team India end their eight-year ICC title drought?

Team India have failed to win an ICC event after the 2013 edition of the Champions Trophy. In fact, they have made it to the semi-finals thrice (World Cup 2015, World T20 2016 & World Cup 2019) and have also made two final appearances (ICC World T20 2014 & ICC Champions Trophy 2017) but could not succeed in going all the way as the Men In Blue ran out of fire & brimstone during crunch games. 

WTC final date and time

India are set to lock horns with New Zealand in the maiden World Test Championship final. The WTC Final date is from June 18-22 at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton. Notably, a Reserve Day (June 23) has been set to ensure five full days of play. The Reserve Day will only be used if lost playing time cannot be recovered through the normal provisions of making up lost time each day. However, there will be no additional day’s play if a positive result is not achieved after five full days of play and the match will be declared a draw in such a scenario.

The WTC final 2021 was initially set to be played at Lord's but was shifted to The Ageas Bowl, Southampton, because Southampton's on-site hotels made the venue suitable to establish a bubble environment, as England had already used for their international fixtures in 2020. Around 4000 cricket fans are set to be allowed in the WTC final.  As per reports, the kick-off time is  15:00 IST.

WTC India squad

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (Vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha.