Sunil Gavaskar highlights silver lining for India despite New Zealand playing two Tests ahead of WTC final
Sunil Gavaskar believes there is no cause for worry for India squad for WTC final even though New Zealand will play two Tests in England ahead of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Gavaskar said that if the Kiwis face defeat, their morale could be low going into the final and injuries and niggles could also disrupt their preparation for the match.
New Zealand have already been in England for close to a week, and they are set to play a two-match Test series against the hosts starting on June 2. Many see this as a significant advantage for the NZ Squad for WTC final ahead of the World Test Championship final.
However, Sunil Gavaskar highlighted some silver lining for India.
"The pessimists are suggesting that playing two Tests before the WTC finals will be a huge plus for the Kiwis as they will be match ready and better acclimatised to the conditions. The flip side of playing those two Tests is that New Zealand could get beaten and thus be low on morale when they take on India and there could be some injuries and niggles to some of their key players which can happen in early June in England," Gavaskar wrote in his column in The Telegraph.
Having not played cricket for a few months, Gavaskar added that Indian players would be fresh and raring to go, and that would make up for any lack of match practice.
"The other factor that will work in the Indian team's favor is that they will be fresh and raring to go and that sheer energy and enthusiasm to be able to play the sport they love after a month's gap will more than make up for any lack of match practice," the Indian legend added.
"Any adversity will be looked upon as an opportunity by Team India" - Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar has highlighted how this current set of players have overcome odds to book their place in the World Test Championship final. Hence, any adversity will be seen as an opportunity by this team, Gavaskar opined.
Check out the latest WTC final live score.
"This is a team that has tasted success and that too in adverse circumstances, so any adversity will be looked upon as an opportunity to show they have the gumption to rise above it and conquer it," the 71-year-old added.
India won the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar series with their backs against the wall after losing some of their key players due to injuries. The team fought back after the drubbing they received in Adelaide to win the series 2-1.
The Men in Blue then followed it up with a 3-1 home series win against England to book their place in the WTC finals. The WTC final starts on June 18 in Southampton as per WTC final schedule.
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