Picture Credit: NZC
The much-awaited final showdown of the World Test Championship is almost here with India and New Zealand set to lock horns in Southampton from June 18 onwards. There will be quite a few star players on display in what is expected to be a thrilling game of red-ball cricket. Talking about the Kiwis, the focus will be on Kane Williamson and Trent Boult. However, one just cannot ignore the enormous talent and depth in the No. 1 ranked team. Let us have a look at three players who can have a huge impact in the WTC Final 2021 against India.
1. Devon Conway
New Zealand have found an exceptional talent ahead of the final showdown in the form of Devon Conway. The 29-year-old made his Test debut in the recently-concluded series against England and finished with 306 runs in 4 innings at an average of 76.5. He showed great resilience and solid technique against some of the best bowlers in the world in form of Stuart Broad and James Anderson.
With Conway set to open the innings for the Kiwis alongside experienced batsman Tom Latham, it will be very intriguing to see if he can repeat his heroics once again and continue an impressive start to his international career in whites.
2. Ross Taylor
The veteran middle-order batsman has been a great servant for New Zealand over the years. Ross Taylor is one of the most experienced players for the Kiwis, having played 107 Tests with 7506 runs to his name. The 37-year-old is the man for big occasions and his class was on display two years back when he played an outstanding 74-run knock against the Men in Blue in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup in England.
Against a dangerous Indian bowling attack, the onus will be on Taylor batting at No. 4 for the Kiwis. His experience will come in quite handy especially against the duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja with Taylor being the best player of spin in New Zealand.
3. Tim Southee
The right-arm pacer is one of the legends of the game, especially in Test format. Tim Southee has scalped 309 wickets in 78 Tests and is a force to reckon with in swinging conditions. He will get a lot of assistance from the wicket in Southampton and with the current forecast hinting that there could be overcast conditions during the game, Southee is certainly going to pose a big threat in front of the Indian batsmen.
The 32-year-old took 7 wickets in the first Test against England at Lord's. Having got a much-needed break as he was rested for the next match, Southee would now be raring to guide his side to a famous win against India in the crucial final showdown.
