Sarfaraz Khan scored his maiden century as India continued its comeback on the fourth day of the first cricket test against New Zealand. Khan was unbeaten on 125 runs off 154 balls as India reached 344-3 in its second innings before rain intervened. Rishabh Pant was also batting on 53 runs, with the hosts still trailing by 12 runs. Lunch was called early by 10 minutes as the duo added 113 runs off 132 balls for the unbeaten fourth wicket to continue India’s turnaround after it had been bowled out for just 46 runs in its first innings. New Zealand scored 402 runs in its first innings, thanks to Rachin Ravindra’s 134 runs, taking a lead of 356 runs. India had lost Virat Kohli for 70 runs on the last ball of day three and began from its overnight score of 231-3. Coming into the second test as a replacement for injured Shubman Gill, Khan achieved his maiden hundred in only the fourth test. By lunch on day four, he had hit 16 fours and three sixes before rain stopped his charge. Meanwhile, Pant scored his 18th test half-century off 55 deliveries. Together, the duo put on 100 off just 120 balls as India looked to turn the game around. But Bengaluru's weather intervened — the fourth day began under a dark sky with the constant threat of rain, and it arrived shortly before the scheduled lunch break. Rain washed out all play on the first day on Wednesday. India leads the World Test Championship standings, and a 3-0 win in this series against New Zealand would all but assure its spot for the final at Lord’s next June. India recently beat Bangladesh 2-0. New Zealand has already been on a long subcontinental tour. It began with a washed-out test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida, India, followed by a 2-0 series loss in Sri Lanka. The second match in the three-test series will be played in Pune starting next Thursday and the final one in Mumbai from Nov. 1.

Rohit Sharma called correctly as India won the toss and opted to bowl against New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup on Sunday. New Zealand and India are the only unbeaten sides in the competition, with four consecutive wins and eight points each. They are only separated in the points table by run-rate – New Zealand leads with +1.923 to India’s +1.659. New Zealand has beaten England, the Netherlands, Bangladesh and Afghanistan while India has notched up wins over Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is unavailable for their table-topping clash due to a left ankle injury sustained in its previous game against Bangladesh in Pune. In his place, the hosts have brought in Suryakumar Yadav who will bat at No. 6. Read: World Cup 2023: Proteas bounce back with resounding win to put England on brink of exit The two-time champions have also made another change, bringing in pacer Mohammed Shami for bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur. New Zealand is unchanged from its previous win over Afghanistan in Chennai. Star batsman and skipper Kane Williamson is still unavailable because of a thumb injury, and Latham leads the side again in his absence. With the Black Caps’ pacers doing well in the tournament, wrist spinner Ish Sodhi sits out his fifth consecutive game. The pitch at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala is expected to have something for everyone. Fast bowlers should find some early movement in either innings, with spin coming into play later in the game. Read: Charged-up Netherlands decides to bat against struggling Sri Lanka at the Cricket World Cup A shorter ground should entice batsmen and cooler autumn temperatures will help with dew formation, aiding the chasing side. Teams: India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Lokesh Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj New Zealand: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (captain), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

On Saturday (December 4), an Indian-born New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel became only the third bowler in history to capture ten wickets in a single innings. Indian batting orders were shattered by his incredible bowling, and they were bowled out for 325 runs in their first innings. New Zealand were bowled out for 62 runs in response, their lowest-ever total against India in Tests. India have complete control of the contest after bowling New Zealand out for a low total. Let's have a look at the current match scenario of the IND vs NZ 2nd Test 2021. Match Scenario: IND vs NZ 2nd Test 2021 India's decision to bat first on a slow-turning wicket at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium paid off well for the hosts despite all the attention focused on Kiwi spinner Ajaz Patel. Because getting over 300 runs at the Wankhede is a good performance, and India scored 325 runs in their first innings. The match's first day finished with a controversial Ibw wicket of Indian captain Virat Kohli. As per the TV reply, the ball touched the bat before hitting Virat Kohli's front pad. However, the umpire ruled it in favor of the fielding side, and Virat returned to the pavilion with a duck. He has failed to score a century in any format since the pink-ball Test against Bangladesh in 2019. India scored 221 for the loss of four wickets on day one. Read Dhaka Test: Persistent rain ends “nearly” cricketless 2nd day India came into bat on day 2 with the aim of scoring more than 300 runs, which they achieved. On the other hand, Ajaz Patel made the headlines by taking all of India's wickets. Ajaz's final bowling stats was 47.5-12-119-10. Overall, he had five catch-out wickets, three Ibws, and two were bowled outs. In 1988, Ajaz Patel was born in Mumbai, India. He moved to New Zealand with his family in 1996. The promising left-arm spinner had to wait a long time to make his full international debut for New Zealand. In 2018, he made his international debut for the Blackcaps against Pakistan, becoming the fifth Indian-origin player to play for the Kiwis. Ajaz is primarily regarded as a key asset for New Zealand in the Test format, having taken 29 wickets in ten games before this Test. In sub-continent conditions, he is a very effective bowler. Read Dhaka Test: Play of day two delayed by rain In the first innings, the New Zealand campaign was anticipated to gain a big lead. However, an impressive Indian bowling attack knocked New Zealand out for only 62 runs. This was the lowest total ever in an India-New Zealand Test match. Off-spinner Ravi Ashwin was outstanding with the ball, taking four wickets for only eight runs. Pacer Mohammad Siraj claimed three wickets, while Axar Patel took two. The only two New Zealand batsmen to reach double digits in the innings were Tom Latham and Kyle Jamieson. India scored 69 runs on day two without losing a wicket. They now have a 332-run lead. India are clearly the favorite to win the match unless New Zealand perform brilliantly in their second innings. Read India in control vs NZ despite Ajaz Patel's historic feat Test bowlers with the most wickets in an innings Only Jim Laker of England and Anil Kumble of India had taken ten wickets in an innings before Ajaz Patel. Jim Laker became the first cricketer to take ten wickets in an innings in 1956 at Old Trafford, Manchester. Laker took 9 wickets in the first innings and 10 wickets in the second innings in the match. In both innings, his bowling stats were 9/37 and 10/53. England had taken a 2-1 lead in the Ashes series after winning by an innings and 170 runs. The cricket world had to wait more than four decades to see another bowler take ten wickets in one innings. India's Anil Kumble, rose to the occasion against arch-rivals Pakistan in Delhi. Leg-spinner Kumble's superb bowling helped India knock Pakistan out for 207 runs in the second innings. India won by 212 runs and leveled the series at 1-1. Kumble's bowling figure was 10/74 in 26.3 overs in the second innings. Read Shakib writes to BCB to skip NZ tour Top five best bowling figures in an innings (Test)  Player BBI Opposition Ground Jim Laker 10/53 Australia Manchester Anil Kumble 10/74 Pakistan Delhi Axar Patel 10/119 India Mumbai George Lohmann 9/28 South Africa Johannesburg Jim Laker 9/37 Australia Manchester Bottom Line Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel will remember this match forever. However, given the present state of the game, New Zealand will most likely lose the match. India's campaign is under less pressure after taking a 250-plus run lead in the first innings. It will be a humiliating circumstance for Ajaz Patel if his team loses this match. Therefore, New Zealand will need to bat very well in the second innings of the IND vs NZ 2nd Test 2021 in order for a possible record run-chase.  Read Ajaz Patel became 3rd cricketer to take 10-wicket in a Test innings

Rachin Ravindra played out 91 deliveries to help New Zealand eke out a dramatic draw in the first test against India just as the home team’s spinners looked like forcing the win on Monday. Set 284 to win, New Zealand was 165-9 when umpire Nitin Menon called off play having checked light readings in each of the previous six overs. Ravindra was unbeaten on 18 runs, while tailender Ajaz Patel faced 23 balls to score 2 not out. The last-wicket partnership faced 52 deliveries to deny India victory late on the fifth day. Also read: New Zealand 79-1 at lunch on 5th day, chasing 284 to win Ravichandran Ashwin took 3-35 and fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja had 4-40 as New Zealand lost six wickets for 66 runs either side of the tea break. Axar Patel also took 1-23. “Ravindra showed great composure (and) Ajaz Patel with his defense,” said Ashwin, who moved to 419 wickets — past Harbhajan Singh’s 417 — and became the third on India’s all-time list after Anil Kumble (619) and Kapil Dev (434). “Everybody hangs in there, everybody can defend well these days.” After lunch, which New Zealand reached at 79-1, the downfall began as Umesh Yadav (1-34) got the elusive breakthrough when nightwatchman William Somerville was caught first ball after resumption for 36 off 110 deliveries. Somerville put on 76 with Tom Latham for the second wicket, with the pair batting through the first session. Latham was the top-scorer with 52 off 146 balls for his 22nd test half-century. He also scored 95 in the first innings. The meltdown began after New Zealand crossed 100 in the 47th over. Latham played onto his own stumps off Ashwin, sparking a collapse from 118-3 to 128-6 in the span of 15.1 overs. Jadeja accounted for Ross Taylor (2), while Kane Williamson (24) was trapped lbw as New Zealand went to tea at 125-4. Also read: Chattogram Test: Pakistan make it close as openers hit fifties Axar Patel had Henry Nicholls (1) dismissed lbw and New Zealand’s middle order put up little resistance as Ashwin bowled Tom Blundell (2). Kyle Jamieson (5) and Tim Southee (4) helped Ravindra eat up 11 overs before falling to Jadeja and there were just 10.4 overs remaining in the day. The umpires checked fading light repeatedly but play carried on until the dramatic call-off with approximately two overs remaining. Both sides earned four points for a draw in the World Test Championship. The second and final test begins in Mumbai on Friday.

Shreyas Iyer and Wriddhiman Saha struck half-centuries on Sunday before India declared its second innings on 234-7 on day four of the first test against New Zealand to set the tourists a target of 284 in Kanpur. Iyer scored 65 runs, while Saha was unbeaten on 61 runs as they resurrected the Indian innings from a precarious 51-5. At stumps, New Zealand was on 4-1 with Tom Latham on 2 and William Sommerville on nought after losing Will Young (2) shortly before the close of play. Earlier, India had reached 84-5 at lunch after Kyle Jamieson (3-40) and Tim Southee (3-75) ran through the Indian top-order in the morning. Cheteshwar Pujara (22) nicked off his gloves down leg side off Jamieson. Southee had Mayank Agarwal (17) caught at slip and then trapped Ravindra Jadeja lbw for nought. Azaj Patel (1-60) trapped Ajinkya Rahane (4) lbw to reduce India to 51-5 after starting from an overnight 14-1. Then, Iyer put on 52 runs for the sixth wicket with Ravichandran Ashwin (32) on either side of lunch and rescued the Indian innings. Following his debut hundred in the first innings, Iyer's half-century in the second innings came off 125 deliveries and included eight fours and a six. Sunil Gavaskar was the last Indian batsman to score 50-plus in both innings of his debut test, a feat he managed against the West Indies in 1971 . "I had been in this situation before as well in domestic cricket. My mind set was to play the session and play as many balls as possible. I wasn't thinking too far ahead," Iyer said. He also became the first Indian batsman to score a hundred and a half-century on his test debut. "It feels good (to have that record) but the most important thing is to win the match... We felt that 250 including the first innings lead would have been a good score, so we're very happy with where we are now," Iyer added. Jamieson bowled Ashwin after India crossed 100. Iyer then added 64 runs with Saha as they helped India reach a defendable total. Southee dismissed Iyer before tea as India reached 167-7 at the break. Saha scored his sixth test half-century and put on 67 runs with Axar Patel (28 not out) for the eighth wicket. India declared with little time left in the day but Ashwin managed to remove Young before stumps. The ball seemed to be missing leg but the batsman ran out of time to use a DRS review. New Zealand will need 280 runs on the final day for victory. India scored 345 in the first innings thanks to Iyer's 105 and New Zealand was bowled out for 296 in reply as Axar Patel took 5-62 on day three.

Bangladesh are placed eighth in the ICC T20I rankings at the end of the T20 World Cup 2021. Bangladesh will compete in the Super 12 Round of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia after confirming the top eight in the team rankings. Team Tigers can further improve their ranking during the forthcoming home series against Pakistan. They will play three matches in the bilateral competition, with the results impacting the rating points. Let's take a look at how Bangladesh might improve its T20 ranking.          Read: BAN vs. PAK 2021: Six new faces likely for the Pakistan T20I series Probable Ranking Scenarios at the end of Bangladesh vs. Pakistan Series 2021 According to the latest update on November 12, England are currently placed first in the ICC T20I team rankings. India are still in the second position despite being eliminated from the Super 12 Round of the T20 World Cup, while Pakistan have moved up to third place by reaching the World Cup semifinals.  Twenty20 World Cup 2021 runner-up New Zealand are fourth, followed by South Africa and the reigning champions, Australia. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies are ranked seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth, respectively.  If Bangladesh whitewash (3-0) Pakistan, they will rise to seventh place with 238 rating points. If team Tigers win the series by a 2-1 margin, they will climb up to the seventh place with 236 points. Bangladesh can still enhance their rankings and rating points even if they lose the bilateral contest 2-1. Read:Rizwan reveals secrets of Pakistan’s strength in T20 WC On the other side, Pakistan will drop 5 rating points if they lose the series 3-0. If Pakistan lose the series 2-1, they will drop three rating points. Pakistan will lose one rating point if Bangladesh lose the series 2-1. However, Pakistan will move up to second place if they sweep Bangladesh and India lose their series to New Zealand 2-1.   Ranking scenarios for other top teams in November England will remain the top-ranked T20I team at the end of November. On the other hand, India will stay in second place if they win their next 3-match T20I series against New Zealand.  New Zealand have a chance to climb to second place in the ICC T20I team rankings If they whitewash India and Pakistan lose their series against Bangladesh. New Zealand may still finish third in the rankings if Pakistan lose all three matches against Bangladesh. Apart from these two T20I series, there will be no other bilateral series in November. The present positions of South Africa and Australia will remain unchanged. On the other side, Afghanistan might drop to eighth place depending on Bangladesh's outcome against the Pakistan side. Sri Lanka might climb up to eighth place if Bangladesh lose all three matches against Pakistan. The West Indies will maintain their present standing. Read:Taskin eyes a Tigers’ fresh start in series vs Pakistan T20I Team Rankings (as of November 12)   Position Team Ratings 1 England 278 2 India 264 3 Pakistan 263 4 New Zealand 258 5 South Africa 253 6 Australia 246 7 Afghanistan 232 8 Bangladesh 232 9 Sri Lanka 232 10 West Indies 226 Source: https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/mens/team-rankings/t20i Verdict  Bangladesh's main goal in the competition would be to overcome Pakistan. It will be a brilliant result if Bangladesh win the series against Pakistan, who had a fantastic performance in the T20 World Cup 2021. This series will feature a new-look Bangladesh Twenty20 squad. Therefore, fans should have lower expectations of the Bangladesh team. Read Women’s ODI: Bangladesh whitewash Zimbabwe 3-0

New Zealand have won the first ICC Test Championship after beating India in the final by 8 wickets on Wednesday at the Rose Bowl, Southampton. There was a reserve day for the championship match in case the rain interrupts during the play. Eventually, the match ended on the sixth day. New Zealand were superb on the final day and they were desperate to win the contest. It was a collective effort that guided New Zealand to win the most prestigious ICC tournament. This article discusses how New Zealand crowned champion after beating India in the inaugural edition of the ICC Test Championship final. ICC Test Championship Final Match Report  Rain disrupted every day of the ICC Test Championship Final between New Zealand and India, and the game was not even held on the first day. As a result, the match lasted till the reserve day.New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson opted to bowl first in a swinging condition at the Rose Bowl ground.  The Kiwi pacers were excellent in line and length in the first innings, with neither bowler conceding more than 3 runs per over. Especially, Kyle Jamieson was outstanding in terms of accuracy. He took five wickets for 31 runs, including Rohit Sharma, Rishab Pant, and Captain Virat Kohli. Read BAN vs AUS: How Ashraful, Shakib shocked Australia India were bowled out for 217 after playing 92.1 overs. Ajinkya Rahane was the top scorer (47) for team India, while Virat made 44 runs.  In response, New Zealand scored 249 runs to take a crucial 32-run lead over India in the first innings. Devon Conway led the way with 54 runs, while Captain Kane Williamson chipped in with 49. Fast Bowler Mohammad Shami picked up the highest 4 wickets for India. India had hoped to bat out the whole day on the final day but were bowled out for 170 after the drinks break in the second session. Rishab Pant scored the highest 41 runs for India, while Tim Southee claimed the most four wickets for New Zealand.  Read BAN vs Zim 2021: BCB May Use the Zimbabwe Series as an Opportunity to Find New Talents New Zealand had nearly 50 overs to reach the 139-run winning target. Thanks to 96* runs unbeaten stand between Kane Williamson (52) and Ross Taylor (47) guided New Zealand to the victory in the third session of the sixth day. Spinner Ravi Ashwin snatched both the wickets for India. Pacer Kyle Jamieson was named player of the match after taking seven wickets in the match. Top Performers in the Inaugural ICC Test Championship We saw some incredible performances and unforgettable matches over the course of the two-year-long ICC Test Championship. Here we mentioned some of the top performers in the inaugural edition of the tournament. Most Runs  Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne was the most runs scorer in the Test Championship tournament, He made 1,675 runs in 23 innings with an average of 72.82. England’s Joe Root (1,660) and Aussie middle-order batsman Steven Smith (1,341) came in second and third respectively on the list. Read Who was The Best Captain of Bangladesh Cricket team? Most Wickets India’s off-spinner Ravi Ashwin had the most wickets in the tournament. He picked up 71 wickets with an average of 20.33 in 26 innings. Australia’s Pat Cummins (70) and England’s Stuart Broad (69) were among the top three wicket-takers in the tournament. High Scores  Australia’s David Warner was the only player to score 300 runs in an innings in this tournament. His unbeaten 335* runs against Pakistan was the highest innings of the competition, followed by Zak Crawley (267) and Virat Kohli (254*). Best Bowling Figures  Lankan bowler Lasith Embuldeniya's 7/137 wickets haul against England was the best bowling figure in an innings in the championship. Ravi Ashwin (7/145) and Jasprit Bumrah (6/27) finished second and third respectively on the list. Read:DPL Super League: Abahani overpower Mohammedan Bottom Line  Before winning the Test championship, New Zealand’s biggest achievement on the international stage was winning the ICC Champions Trophy in 2000. The Kiwis played two back-to-back 50-over World Cup finals in 2015 and 2019 but lost both the finals against the arch-rivals Australia and England respectively. So, New Zealand were desperate to win a major ICC tournament prior to the ICC Test Championship Final against India, and they finally have done it. This New Zealand team is arguably the best ever in their cricket history and they deserve a lot of credit. Read BAN vs. ZIM 2021: Individual Milestones expected to Reach

The Ageas Bowl in Southampton will host the inaugural World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand from June 18-22. In the lead-up to the final, New Zealand will be locked in a Test match against England in Birmingham. This will definitely make New Zealand battle-ready before the final. At the same time, this will give the Kiwis a fair chance of ascending to the top of the ICC Test Match Team Rankings -- of course, if they win the Test against England. Let's analyse New Zealand's chances of being the world's top Test team Advantage Kiwis? New Zealand can climb to the top spot of the ICC Test Match Team Rankings only if they beat England in the second Test of the ongoing series. The first Test at the Lord's ended in a draw, where opener Devon Conway scored a double century and experienced pacer Tim Southee bagged six wickets in the first innings. One bad news is that New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the second Test due to an elbow injury. Tom Latham will instead lead the Blackcaps in the series-deciding match against England. Will Young is likely to replace Kane Williamson in the playing XI. Read  Who is the favourite to win ICC Player of the Month Award for May? However, the New Zealand team management hopes that Kane Williamson will be ready for the World Test Championship final. This is essential as Kane Williamson has the potential to make a difference in the crucial championship match against India. With the exception of Kane Williamson, New Zealand have some outstanding cricketers who may cause problems for England. In addition to veteran Ross Taylor and Tim Southee, the team also has some great players like Tom Latham, Henry Nichols, Trent Bolt and Neil Wagner. New Zealand will have to put in a lot of effort to win the match against a highly competitive English team. On the other hand, India now lead the ICC Test team standings with 121 points. New Zealand are in the second place with only one point separating between the first and second positions. Winning the second match against England will increase New Zealand's ratings by four points, putting them in the first place in the ICC Test Match Team Rankings with 124 points.  Read International Fixtures Which Could Help Bangladesh's T20 World Cup Preparation India, in such a scenario, will drop to the second position. Australia is likely to move up to the third place. Among the other teams, Pakistan are ranked fifth in the ICC Test Match Team Rankings, followed by the West Indies and South Africa. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe are ranked eighth, ninth, and tenth, respectively. Among the players, Kane Williamson leads the ICC Test Rankings for batsmen. Australian pacer Pat Cummins leads the rankings for bowlers and West Indian player Jason Holder is the best Test all-rounder in the world, according to the latest ICC player rankings for the longer format of the game. Read Prime Doleshwar continue their winning run in DPL T20 2021 Verdict New Zealand would definitely want to win the series against England before facing India in the World Test Championship final. Defeating the host England will no doubt boost the confidence of the Kiwis.  Further, if New Zealand can play as the ICC's number one team, they will be psychologically ahead in the match against India. However, we can expect a fascinating clash because the top two teams are competing in the final, and hopefully, the best team will win the inaugural edition of the tournament. Read Mahmudullah, Rubel, Nurul Spark in DPL T20 2021

The much-anticipated first ICC Test Championship final will finally take place in the third to fourth week of June, after overcoming obstacles such as the fear of coronavirus outbreak, scheduling ambiguity, the proper implementation of the points system, and a slew of other challenges. The top two teams in the ICC Test rankings India and New Zealand will compete in the final of the first edition of the tournament. From that perspective, the best two Test teams of the competition will meet in the championship match. Who will win the ICC Test Championship in 2021 is discussed in this article. How the journey of the ICC Test Championship started The ICC (International Cricket Council) believes that interest in Test cricket is fading because of the popularity of One Day International as well as twenty20 format. They launched the ICC World Test Championship in 2019 in order to raise the interest in the longer version format among the global cricket fans.  Read: Bangladesh's Predicted XI: If ODI and Test Teams Played on the Same Day As per some studies, cricket fans are becoming more interested in this format after the launch of the ICC Test Championship, as there is a possibility of winning a trophy. The International Cricket Council has been working on popularizing Test cricket for a long time. They intended to do that by having a new World Cup for the longer version format, similar to the ICC ODI and T20 World Cup. After being pushed back twice, the two-year-long Test Championship tournament officially began on August 1, 2019, with the Ashes series between England and Australia. The series eventually ended 2-2. A notable number of Test series were later canceled due to the outbreak of pandemic covid-19 but not the first ICC World Test Championship.  The participant teams of the championship The top nine teams in the ICC Test rankings have taken part in this Test championship. India, New Zealand, South Africa, England, Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the West Indies, and Bangladesh are among the teams competing. It's also important to keep in mind that the Test championship's inaugural season does not include the teams from Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, or Ireland. Each one of the nine teams was set to play six series, three at home and three away but not all the series was held because of Coronavirus. Each series consists of two to five matches.To put it another way, each team had the same number of series to play, but not the same number of matches. Every match in the two-match series is worth 60 points, while each match in the five-match series is worth 24 points. If the match is tied, half points are added, and if the match is a draw, one-third point is added. According to FTP fixtures, the tournament would feature 71 Tests across 27 series, and the top two teams in the point table would play the final at Lord's in June 2021. There were expected to be 72 matches in all, including the final one.  Read: Ban vs SL 2021: How Bangladesh can clinch the ODI series against Sri Lanka The way India and New Zealand secured the final of the tournament The Indian cricket team played six series in this tournament, winning five and drawing the other.They whitewashed the Windies (2-0), South Africa (3-0), and Bangladesh (2-0) in their first three Test Championship series. But handed a 2-0 series defeat against New Zealand in early 2020. India came back strong during their away tour in Australia last year December and clinched the series 2-1. India also won the home series against England by 3-1. India won a total of 520 out of 720 points and finished top of the ICC World Test Championship points table. On the other hand, New Zealand played five series, winning three, drawing one, and losing one.New Zealand has had a relatively quiet start in this Test Championship. They tied their first series (1-1) against Sri Lanka and lost their second series (3-0) to their arch-rivals Australia in December 2019. New Zealand then bounced back with victories over India (2-0), the Windies (2-0), and Pakistan (2-0).The Blackcaps came second in the ICC Test Championship points table with 420 points out of 600 to their name.  Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka ODI series 2021: Expected personal milestones to Reach Who is the favorite to win the ICC Test Championship 2021? New Zealand will have a slight advantage in the upcoming final even though India finished top in the group stage points table. New Zealand's confidence will be boosted ahead of the final by England's bouncy wicket, familiar weather, excellent pace attack, and batting skills of the lower order. On the other hand, India would benefit if a sporting wicket is made in the Rose Bowl. In big matches, captains usually want to bowl first if they win the toss. However, if the pitch is green, the captains may choose to bowl in the hopes of quickly picking up wickets. In that case, the Kiwis will enjoy more advantages. The players are usually under a lot of pressure to play in the final because of the high expectations. So, it doesn't matter who is stronger on paper because you would not be able to prevail if you are unable to play at your best. Overall, the two teams will face off in a tough battle. The ICC Test Championship final will be held at the Rose Bowl cricket ground in Southampton from the 18th to the 22nd of June this year. The two participating teams will be declared joint champions if the final is tied or a draw.  Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka series 2021: ODI Ranking Prediction Verdict There is a common saying that no matter how strong the competitor is, anyone can win the final if they give it their all. Predicting who will win the ICC Test Championship 2021 is difficult because both teams have equal chances. However, since the top two teams are competing in the final, we can expect a thrilling battle. In that case, the captain who wins the toss will gain a competitive advantage, and the pitch will also have a major impact on the outcome of the match. But neutral cricket fans would want the best team to lift the trophy.

Tim Southee and debutant Kyle Jamieson shared eight wickets as New Zealand bowled out India for 165 Saturday on the second day of the first cricket test.