New Zealand couldn’t have asked for a better scenario to face India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final than the current one, former fast bowler Shane Bond has said. New Zealand come into the historic one-off Test on the back of a 1-0 series win against England in their own backyard.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better scenario to play India in England with no practice. Us coming off two Test matches. We are primed to win something,” said Bond on the TOI Sportscast.
“So I am hoping that some of the hard luck stories that we have had in the last couple of World Cups, we will flip the script this time and lift up that mace and be the champions, which will be pretty special, pretty cool for our sport over here, because cricket is the number two sport in the country and for us to achieve that (win WTC Final) will be fantastic,” he further said.
New Zealand finished runners-up in the last two World Cups, losing the 2019 tournament on the basis of a lesser boundary count than winners England after the final was tied despite a Super Over.
“We are a very small country. Always seen as the dark horse, the underdog. In the last eight years in particular the team has made two World Cup finals and tied one. That’s the way I see it. And got really close,” said Bond.
