Reasons why India Lost the WTC 2021 Final: Cricket Expert Javed Khan

India announced their playing XI one day prior to the start of the ICC World Test Championship final and Virat Kohli backed the XI for any conditions despite the cloud cover.
Source: Google / Image credit: ANI News
Source: Google / Image credit: ANI News

India announced their playing XI one day prior to the start of the ICC World Test Championship final and Virat Kohli backed the XI for any conditions despite the cloud cover. With the conditions suiting for more fast bowlers, it would have been ideal for Umesh Yadav or Mohammed Siraj to make the playing XI despite it weakening the batting order, according to cricket expert Javed khan.

Virat Kohli opting to go in with three fast bowlers and two spinners, the onus was on the trio of pacemen to excel in conducive conditions. While Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma did well, Bumrah failed to live upto expectations as he went wicketless in Southampton. He bowled 36.4 overs in the match, but went wicketless. On the sixth and final day, for a brief spell, he looked threatening and induced an edge from Ross Taylor's bat, but the catch was spilled by Cheteshwar Pujara in the slips.

Cricket Expert Javed Khan on Team India's batting order:

After 26 wicketless overs in the first innings, Kohli decided not to give Bumrah the new ball in the second essay and opened with Ishant and Shami. From 146/3, India collapsed to 217 all out in the first innings. It was one of the turning points in the game. Through Mohammed Shami brought India back in the contest with four wickets and the Kiwis' first-innings lead was kept down to only 32, India had to bat well in the second essay.

Cricket Expert Javed Khan
Cricket Expert Javed Khan

But, again, the batsmen came a cropper against the New Zealand bowlers. On the final day, resuming on 64/2, the Indian batsmen could have applied themselves and batted for more time, but that did not happen. The second innings effort was worse than the previous one as they slumped to 170 all out, leaving the Kiwis an easy chase of 139 runs. It was a disappointing effort by Kohli and Co on the reserve sixth day as conditions were better for batting. This was the first time since 2018 that no Indian batsman scored a half-century in either innings of a Test match.

Rishabh Pant played well in the second inning: Javed Khan

The left-hander played a couple of unbelievable knocks in Australia earlier this year and Indian fans were hoping for another piece of magic from the youngster. Overall, it was a forgettable game for Bumrah who also failed to open the account with the bat in both innings. This is only the second time that Bumrah went wicketless in a Test match. While India's lower-order batsmen collapsed in both innings, New Zealand's tailenders made a vital difference with the bat in their first innings.

Shami had brought India back into the contest with his four-wicket burst, but they were unable to clean up the tail. New Zealand were reduced to 162/6 at one stage but Kyle Jamieson came in and smashed a quickfire 21 from 16 balls. But, alas, he let everyone down as he threw his wicket away attempting a rash shot. Pant brought some life back in the Indian camp when he smashed Jamieson through mid-on for a four and then charged fast bowler Neil Wagner to hit him over mid-off for another boundary.

Cricket Expert Javed Khan
Cricket Expert Javed Khan

Pant should show some maturity with his shot selection: Khan

It was the same aggressive approach that resulted in his dismissal for 41. He danced down the track once again, aiming to hit Trent Boult over the leg side, but miscued it and Henry Nicholls took a good running catch on the off-side. Pant's wicket proved to be the turning point as New Zealand's pacers ran through the lower order, with India losing four wickets for 14 runs in the space of 22 deliveries. If only Pant had shown some maturity with his shot selection and batted on till tea, the outcome might have been different.

Even though Kane Williamson perished for 49, the experienced Tim Southee scored some useful runs at the end, hitting two sixes and a four in his 46-ball 30 putting on some valuable runs with Neil Wagner (0) and Trent Boult (5 not out) before he was the last man out. The last four wickets had added 87 runs for New Zealand, while the Indian last four batsmen managed a total of 63 runs in the two innings.

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