World Test Championship

Vaughan was also firm about England avoiding rotation policy like they did on their Test tour of India. England's rotation policy had come under scanner after they lost 3-1 to India in February and March this year.

New Zealand won the rain-marred summit match against India by eight wickets to bag the winning purse of Rs 12 crore along with an ICC Test Championship Mace. "In sport, when you have tournaments and finals, these are set up in a way to provide excitement and opportunity in a one-off game. It never really tells the whole picture.

Ahead of the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, England had lost the two-Test series at home 1-0 to the Black Caps. Before that they had lost a four-match Test series to India 3-1 in the sub-continent.

Leading former New Zealand cricketers such as Brendon McCullum and Richard Hadlee are awestruck with the showing of skipper Kane Williamson's boys in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India here and feel this is probably the country's greatest-ever team. New Zealand had, on Wednesday, become the first World Test Championship winners.

The last decade had begun well and offered hope to India, promising a decade of dominance in which they bagged multiple tournaments. India won the 2011 50-over World Cup and followed it up with the 2013 Champions Trophy. But since 2014, India have tripped at the final hurdle several times.

Ahead of the 2015, 50-over World Cup final, an ailing Crowe desperately wanted to see a New Zealand team win an ICC tournament. Barring the ICC knockouts title in 2000, the cupboard of Kiwis was dry with Crowe himself missing out on the 1992 World Cup as captain as his side lost a close semi-final.

India were on Wednesday beaten by New Zealand by eight wickets in the inaugural WTC final, a one-off event. "Look, firstly I am not in absolute agreement of deciding the best Test side over the course of one game, to be very honest. If it is a Test series, it has to be a test of character over three Tests," said Kohli in the post-match press conference.

New Zealand beat India by eight wickets to win the WTC final as Watling took five catches behind the stumps. "It's been a lot of hard work for a long time for our team as a group. And to get over the line like that, was pretty satisfying," said Watling who suffered a finger injury during the first session but returned after treatment.

"This would have to be the highlight of my career. At the start of my career, I felt we probably did not have the side to do this," said Taylor, who had postponed his retirement two years ago. The right-handed batsman had earlier said he would have retired had New Zealand lifted the 50-over World Cup in 2019. They lost to England in the final.

This is an apt redemption for New Zealand, who had lost the final of the last two 50-over World Cups, in 2015 and 2019. The match, in which two days were lost to rain, saw a strong performance from Kiwis on the reserve day as their bowlers ran through the Indian batting line-up and dismissed them for just 170 runs.