New Zealand experienced batsman Ross Taylor believes IPL finishing early will give a bit of advantage to India as their players will be able to practice and get used to the English conditions in a better way. The IPL was suspended indefinitely as the number of Covid-19 cases had surged in the tournament.
Subsequently, the Indian team players are currently completing their quarantine in Mumbai and they are expected to travel to England on June 2. On the other hand, New Zealand is already in England and they are gearing up for the two-match Test series. Thus, the Kiwis will be well prepared for the WTC final against India.
“I couldn’t think of a better preparation than playing two Test matches in England. At the end of the day, it is a neutral venue. In terms of India, the IPL finishing early has probably played into their hands a little bit. If IPL had come, they would have had smaller preparations. Now they will be a lot more conditioned and their bowlers will get their loads up,” Ross Taylor told a virtual press conference on Sunday.
On the other hand, India won 12 Test matches in the WTC cycle and had a winning percentage of 72.2. New Zealand finished in second place with a win percentage of 70 after winning seven matches.
Meanwhile, India is currently the number one Test team in the ICC rankings after the annual update. Taylor admitted that the Indian team has been a top Test team for a long time now and it won’t be easy to beat them.
“Playing these two Test matches gives us a slight advantage but this Indian team have been number one in the world for a long time and had a lot of success over here [in England]. I guess we can’t ask for a better schedule leading into the WTC final. At this time of the year bowlers will be relishing the conditions,” Ross Taylor added.
Ross Taylor is going to hold the key for New Zealand as he has all the experience under his belt. Taylor has been a consistent performer for the Kiwis and he will look to bring his best to the table. The WTC final will take place at Ageas Bowl, Southampton on June 18.
