New Zealand have won the inaugural World Test Championship against India in Southampton recently where their pace attack made all the difference. However, following their win, former cricketer Ian Chappel said that their pace unit is better than West Indies’ from the ’80s as well.
“In recent years India have joined the ranks of pace-bowling proficient teams. As a consequence, they have enjoyed success in Australia, reached the final of the WTC, and now have an even-money chance of beating England on their home turf,” Chappell wrote in ESPNcricinfo. “Good pace bowling definitely has its advantages.”
The former captain turned one of the biggest analysts of the game, believes that India too has been well served by the fast bowlers such as Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj as well. But he applauded New Zealand fast bowlers, naming them in the same breath as the dangerous West Indian pace bowling attack from the 1970s to mid-90s as well.
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“New Zealand’s well-deserved win in the World Test Championship final highlighted an accepted adage in cricket: fast bowling rules,” Ian Chappell said. “New Zealand’s pace quartet — Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, and Kyle Jamieson — made possible their presence in the final. Then in the prolonged battle with India for supremacy, the quick bowlers led the last-day victory charge.”
He further added, “Such was the influence of the New Zealand attack that there was even a comparison with the formidable West Indies quartets that ruled from the late-1970s to the mid-1990s. To my mind, the best combination from those fearsome quartets was Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and Joel Garner. If it’s pace you’re talking about, the West Indies quartet wins hands down. However, if you look purely at results, the New Zealand four take the prize — five matches together for a 100% winning record. That West Indies combination only played together in six matches and while never beaten, they were held to three draws.”
Notably, New Zealand had the upperhand considering their 1-0 Test series win against England prior to the coveted WTC Final. However, the veteran also praised the lanky pacer Kyle Jamieson whose five-wicket haul did wonders for his side as well.
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“New Zealand played four of those five matches at home and then the final at the Ageas Bowl, all favourable venues for swing and seam bowling. West Indies’ three draws were all affected by inclement weather in an era when time lost was exactly that. Statistically the leader of New Zealand’s group is undoubtedly Jamieson, with 28 wickets at the uncovered-pitches-average of 12.07 in these five Tests. However experience-wise, it’s swing bowler Southee who leads the way.”
