Cricket fans are eagerly waiting for the much-awaited contest of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and New Zealand. The mega-event will get down to business from June 18 to 22 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
Notably, the WTC final will take place with some modifications in the rules, and a reserve day (on June 23) has also been allocated to make up for any lost time during the regular days of the match.
Both sides consist of some top-quality players who have the ability to turn the game on its head at any point in time. In fact, even in the past, India and New Zealand have produced many legends who have taken their respective teams to newer heights.
The current sides feature players like Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Ajinkya Rahane, Ross Taylor and others, who have served their respective teams with consistent performances. But what if, in an alternate reality, these players switch positions and play for each other’s teams?
Speaking about the same on the Players’ Lounge Podcast hosted by Mayanti Langer, senior Kiwi batter Taylor was asked to pick two Indian players he would bring onboard into the New Zealand team for the WTC final.
The 37-year-old picked legendary Indian batsmen Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid as players he would wish to see playing for New Zealand in the epic clash against the Virat Kohli-led side. Taylor also named Virender Sehwag on that list.
“Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sehwag. I think the teams are evenly matched, but I think any of those players on the Indian side you could pull over and would make a great contribution to our side,” said Taylor.
Former England spinner Graeme Swann, was also part of the chat, and he recalled memories of playing against a quality Indian side filled with top-class batters.
“When I look back at the Indian team that I played against, and I look back at my first Test, it was Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Dhoni, I mean, that’s ridiculous (laughs). How I got wickets against them, I will never know,” said Swann.
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