Former England skipper Sir Alastair Cook believes India was hard done by for not getting any match practice before the all-important World Test Championship Final against New Zealand in Southampton. India came second in the marquee clash as New Zealand rode the moment well in the final and clinch the game by eight wickets.
India arrived in the UK on June 3 and was required to be in quarantine, which ended just a few days before the final. On the other hand, New Zealand was in England since mid-May and played two Test matches against England, which eventually made them match-ready.
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Cook is sure that New Zealand was match-hardened and that came in handy for them in the final against India, who were playing their first Test match after three months.
“I did say New Zealand were going to win that game purely down to the fact that they were match-hardened. Those two Test matches against England were such perfect preparation,” Cook said on the BBC’s Tuffer and Vaughan Podcast.
India played an intra-squad game ahead of the final to get the taste of the English conditions. Cook feels such games don’t have the same intensity as that of a Test match.
“Intra-squad games, as good as your intention might be, it hasn’t got the same intensity. The first hour might be really competitive but everything goes less and less and less. India were hard done by that way,” Cook added.
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India’s famed batting lineup didn’t rise to its expectations and flattered in front of a fired-up Kiwi bowling lineup. However, Cook believes it was naming two spinners in the playing XI that backfired for India despite knowing the weather condition in advance.
Notably, India announced their playing XI on the eve of the final and didn’t change it despite the first day of the game being washed out.
“They (India) got a bit confident in picking that side three days out before (the game) and playing two spinners where they pretty much knew it was going to rain for a lot of that game. So a lot of seam bowling was bowled. Even though their spinners are world-class, they got a little bit ahead of themselves there,” he said.
