IND vs NZ WTC Final 2021: Virat Kohli aims to emulate Sourav Ganguly for ending major jinx

India and New Zealand are all set to lock horns with each other in the World Test Championship Final in a few hours. The India vs New Zealand rivalry has always been fascinating and over the years, these two teams have been a part of some memorable games. Both sides have been consistent performers in ICC events, however, when it comes to India vs New Zealand head-to-head record, it's the Kiwis who have dominated the Men in Blue.

IND vs NZ h2h stats in ICC events tilt massively in New Zealand's favour

As far as the India vs New Zealand h2h record in ICC events is concerned, the Blackcaps have won 10 games as compared to India's 3. Notably, in the last five meetings between the two cricketing giants in ICC events, it is Kane Williamson's side that has emerged victorious on all occasions. These wins include two games of the World Test Championship, two matches of the T20 World Cup and the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019.

It is worth mentioning that India last defeated New Zealand in an ICC event at the 50-over World Cup in 2003 in South Africa's Centurion, a game they won by seven wickets under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly. Indian captain Virat Kohli will look to emulate Sourav Ganguly's feat and put an end to the losing streak against the Kiwis in ICC events by beating them in the IND vs NZ WTC Final.

Here's a look at India vs New Zealand h2h stats in ICC events

Event	India (Matches Won)	New Zealand (Matches won)
ICC Cricket World Cup	3	5
Champions Trophy	0	1
T20 World Cup	0	2
World Test Championship	0	2
Result	3	10

India's journey to WTC Final 2021

India ended up at the top of the WTC points table with a 72.2 PTC. In the six series that they played during the course of the competition, Virat Kohli's men won 12 games, lost four and drew one. India started their WTC campaign with a 2-0 whitewash of West Indies followed by another series sweep (2-0) against South Africa.

Subsequently, the Men in Blue beat Bangladesh 2-0 to make it three series clean sweeps in a row. India's first taste of defeat came in New Zealand where the Kiwis beat them 2-0. The Indian team then travelled to Australia where they secured a historic 2-1 win by beating the Aussies in their own backyard. Thereafter, India went on to host England at home and managed to beat them 3-1 after losing the first Test to book their berth in the WTC Final vs New Zealand.

New Zealand's journey to WTC Final 2021

New Zealand started their WTC journey right after their heartbreaking loss to England in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. The Kiwis' first series against Sri Lanka ended at 1-1 post which they toured their neighbouring country Australia where they suffered a 3-0 whitewash. The Kane Williamson-led side now needed to win all the remaining games which they did. They first beat India 2-0 and followed it up by trouncing West Indies (2-0) and Pakistan (2-0) to become the first team to enter the WTC Final. The upcoming final will be a fitting end to what has been a fiercely competitive championship. 

WTC Final date and time

The India vs New Zealand WTC Final is scheduled to take place from June 18-22 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, and the match will start at 3:00 p.m. IST for each day. After concluding IND vs NZ WTC Final, the Indian team faces England in the India vs England Test Series that will consist of 5 Test matches. The first Test match from the series will start on August 4 at Trent Bridge.

WTC Final live streaming details

India vs New Zealand WTC Final live telecast will be available on the Star Sports Network (Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Hindi HD, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Telugu, Star Sports 1 Kannada). Fans can also enjoy the WTC Final live streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. Moreover, major moments and clips from the game will be available on Facebook & ICC website/app. To catch India vs New Zealand live scores, fans have to keep a tab on BCCI's and Blackcaps' social media handles.

IMAGE SOURCE: AP