WTC Final: “It's 55-45 in favor of New Zealand at the moment” – Deep Dasgupta
Deep Dasgupta feels New Zealand have a slight edge over India in the upcoming World Test Championship Final. Although the cricketer-turned-commentator claimed India aren’t too far behind, Dasgupta believes the Kiwis' series win against England has done them a world of good.
New Zealand scripted history as they beat England on the latter's home soil for the first time since 1999. They won the second Test of the two-match series by eight wickets, despite resting six of their first-team players.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Deep Dasgupta feels the current scenario plays right into New Zealand’s hands ahead of the WTC Final.
“The WTC Final is 55-45 in favor of New Zealand at the moment. That doesn’t mean India is behind.
"But India also have to play their brand of cricket. Be disciplined, keep it simple and reduce errors. Remember this is a one-off game and not a series. New Zealand cricket is all about keeping it simple and being effective,” Dasgupta explained.
New Zealand flaunted their impressive bench strength during the second Test, where experienced players such as Tim Southee, Kane Williamson and BJ Watling were rested. Deep Dasgupta feels New Zealand should be high on confidence with two Tests in English conditions under their belt and are optimally placed ahead of the all-important final.
“New Zealand are looking formidable. They are in good flow and the two Tests have given them momentum. Additionally, they have been able to rest senior players like BJ Watling and Kane Williamson. I think they are in a very good position.
"Their confidence after beating England in England would be sky-high. I think they are in a very good position right now. They have ticked most of the boxes."
Deep Dasgupta heaps praise on New Zealand for making best use of their limited resources
The 44-year-old also explained what makes the Blackcaps a joy to watch. Deep Dasgupta praised the Kiwis for optimally utilizing their limited resources and developing talent in the best possible manner. He said:
“I feel New Zealand is the epitome of my cricketing philosophy. Firstly, they know how to develop talent. That is also a kind of necessity for them because they have just six first-class teams, which means a maximum of 90-100 cricketers.
"New Zealand know they have to make do with this group and carve a diamond out of the rough from this. That is why they have been able to consistently perform over the past 30 years despite a small talent pool because they know how to develop it."
Reflecting on New Zealand's recent performance against England, Deep Dasgupta pointed out how the Blackcaps keep it simple and rarely make mistakes on a cricket field.
“They are disciplined, understand their boundaries and keep it simple. If you see New Zealand’s batsmen, they had a simple old-school technique with no complications (against England). They maximize their talent, and also make it a point to reduce their errors.
"You see their simple and hardworking approach from catching to fielding and everything else. You won’t see many unforced errors from them,” Deep Dasgupta concluded.
Deep Dasgupta is not the only one who feels that the Kiwis have the advantage ahead of the WTC Final. Even Cheteshwar Pujara and former players like Venkatesh Prasad have admitted that New Zealand’s know-how of the conditions will help them in Southampton.