Friday 26 / April / 2024
Virat Kohli’s Cabinet for an ICC trophy is still empty after India collapsed on the 6th Day to be bowled out for a below par score for 171 in the second innings in the ICC World Test Championship Finals.
Till the end of 5th day Draw looked the most likely result with rain washing our two full days, the trophy would have been shared by both New Zealand and India. But on day 6 New Zealand bowlers had other ideas and bowled India out on a bright Sunny Day for just 170 with the last five wickets falling for just 28 runs giving New Zealand a target of just 139 runs to get which they got to it quite comfortably.
India's last ICC trophy had incidentally come today eight years ago in 2013 in England under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy when India won the Champions Trophy beating England and after that India had a dry run. They have made it to the 50 overs World Cup semifinals in 2015 and 2019 but were knocked out once by Australia and last by New Zealand. In the 2017 Champions Trophy India who were overwhelming favorites lost to a come from behind Pakistan team. Similarly in the T20 World Cup, India were runners up in 2014 when they lost to eventual champions Sri Lanka in the finals and then in 2016 lost to West Indies in the Semifinals.
India have been good in bilateral series in all formats beating most of the teams worldwide but when it comes to ICC organized tournament, they seemed to be the bridesmaid after reaching the last stage more often than not. With this latest loss to New Zealand in the Virat Kohli must be wondering when he can bring in the ICC trophy for team India which has been eluding them for 8 years now.
Their next campaign is the T20 World Cup which might be held in UAE and all eyes will be on it.
