INDIA VS. NEW ZEALAND WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL, SOUTHAMPTON
     

Congratulations to New Zealand on being crowned the winner of the World Test Championship and making up for some of the disappointment of the World Cup final two years ago in a game which they made an equal number of runs as their opponents, England, but ended up being pipped at the eleventh hour by the number of boundaries hit. Commiserations to India who also lost out to New Zealand in the semi-final of the same World Cup in 2019.

The vagaries of the weather contributed to a great deal of the match and the sixth day was gratefully received - in good weather too - as New Zealand methodically saw their way to their victory target to see them lift the inaugural World Test Championship trophy.

Below are some of the highlights of the match.

  • India's match aggregate of 387 runs is their eleventh-lowest in a Test where none of their batsmen has reached 50. This is based on losing all twenty wickets in the match
  • The last time that an Indian side failed to register an individual 50 in two completed innings was at Lord's against England in 2018
  • Based on pace bowlers bowling a minimum of 40 overs in a match, Kyle Jamieson's run rate of 1.33 per over is the second-lowest in Test cricket for New Zealand. John Reid heads their list with 1.19 against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in 1961-62
  • Jamieson's burgeoning Test career continues, his first eight Tests bringing him a record 46 wickets and surpassing the previous New Zealand best of 41 by Jack Cowie
  • Jamieson is one of nineteen bowlers to take 46 or more wickets in their first eight Tests
  • Jamieson became one of only twelve bowlers to take five wickets in an innings on five occasions within his first eight Tests
  • Kane Williamson moved into second place, ahead of Stephen Fleming's 7172, for runs for New Zealand. Ross Taylor, who scored the winning runs, heads the list
  • The match aggregate of 776 runs for 32 wickets is significantly the fewest in a match with a result at Southampton. The previous lowest aggregate was 974 between England and India in 2018
  • Tom Latham became the eleventh New Zealand cricketer to take five catches in a Test. This figure excludes wicket-keepers
  • Only Sir Alastair Cook has matched Latham's five catches in a Test at Southampton
  • The Test was the twenty-ninth, with a result, where no century partnership was registered. The last time that New Zealand was involved in such a match was at Christchurch in 1983-84 against England
  • The Test was only the sixth played in England which did not involve England
  • The retiring B-J. Watling ends his nine-and-a-half year Test career with New Zealand's most runs and dismissals as wicket-keeper (3398 runs, average 39.06 with seven hundreds and 18 fifties), and 265 dismissals (257 catches, 8 stumpings) in 67 Tests