Following their crushing win over Pakistan in the second Test at Christchurch, New Zealand became the No.1 Test team for the first time ever, pushing Australia down to the No.2 spot. For a nation with limited resources and a bunch of players who are not exceptionally talented but extremely hardworking, reaching the top of the Test rankings is a massive achievement. The Kiwis have come tantalisingly close to claiming the No.1 spot in the past, but 2021 has finally done the trick for them. We trace the amazing rise of New Zealand, and key factors behind their ascendancy.
NEW ZEALAND’S PATH TO NO.1
The Kiwis have played 11 matches as part of the ICC World Test Championship, winning seven and losing four. One of their biggest achievements in the competition came when they drew the two-match series in Sri Lanka 1-1. Although the Lankans are not the team they once used to be, for New Zealand, who do not have a great record in Asia, to pull off an innings and 65 runtriumph at Colombo in August 2019 was massive. They then defeated a strong England side at home 1-0 in a two-Test series (not part of World Test Championship). The Kiwis suffered a setback in Australia, where they were whitewashed 0-3 in the three-match series towards the end of 2019.
Denne historien er fra January 15, 2021-utgaven av Cricket Today.
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Denne historien er fra January 15, 2021-utgaven av Cricket Today.
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