Upbeat India vs In-Form New Zealand: A Preview Of the Battle For The World Test Championship

 No.1 vs No.2, it doesn't get any bigger as the two Top Sides of the Longest Format of the Game Of Cricket will battle it out for the World Test Championship, starting from today in The Rose Bowl

 While Indian Captain Virat Kohli will be looking to add another ICC Trophy to India's glittering Trophy Cabinet, New Zealand Skipper Kane Williamson will be keen on giving the Black Caps their second ICC Trophy Title 21 Years Later after their Champions Trophy Triumph in 2000

The Indian Playing XI is quite settled as Subhman Gill has retained his spot after scoring well in the Practice game. The Tough choice for Kohli was to choose between Ishant Sharma and Md. Siraj. wherein he had to take the call and it was in favor of  the experienced Ishant Sharma over the hustle and aggression of Md. Siraj to lead the Indian  Pace Attack with Bumrah and Md. Shami.

For New Zealand their Captain and Star Batsman Kane Williamson returns after his troubled elbow kept him out of the 2nd Test versus England earlier in the month. Also Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson will make a comeback into the Playing XI, while BJ Watling who will retire after this Test match will play ahead of Tom Blundell.

India's hopes will be high on opener and Star Batsman Rohit Sharma who made an explosive comeback in the longest format with a brilliant knock against South Africa. The Hitman, as we all know him is India's 2nd highest run-getter in the World Test Championship. Although majority of his runs have come on home turf while his average drastically falling in foreign soil. He would definitely look to improve his numbers against the Kiwis.

Indian Bowling Attack will be on the lookout against Devon Conway, the Scorer-in-Chief for New Zealand in the recent series win vs England. The free flowing left hander broke a flurry of records as he became the first batsman to get a Debut double ton on English soil, scoring the second most runs by a Kiwi on debut series, becoming the second debutant after Sourav Ganguly to get the Man-of-The Series in England.

Virat Kohli last scored a Test Ton back in November 2019, and will now go against his nemesis Tim Southee in the Final Of The World Test Championship. The Kiwi Speedstar has picked 51 Wickets in the World Test Championship, and has bagged the priced scalp of Virat Kohli 10 times across all formats, which is the highest for any bowler. But looking at the statistics in Tests, Southee has been able to get his former RCB mate's wicket only twice in five tests. 

Though both teams are brimming with quality players, who can change the result of any game, but the fate of the World Test Championship final could be decided by the factor as to who wind the Kohli vs Southee battle. 

India have played twice on The Rose Bowl in Southampton and lost on both occasions. While New Zealand as never played in the Rose Bowl, they are coming from the backdrop of a first Test series win against England since 1999. Not to forget that the Black Caps are the only side to defeat India in the Road to the World Test Championship finals.

It will be a battle of nerves as India will look to topple the No.1 Test Side and win the first ever World Test Championship.