New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson holds the winners trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after their win in the World Test Championship. Photo / AP
Cam McMillan tracks the Black Caps' incredible journey from rank outsiders to the best test cricket team in the world.
Just 18 days after the heartbreaking ODI World Cup final tie at Lord's, the World Test Championship 2019-21 cycle began.
For captain Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tim Southee and Trent Boult it was a second straight time missing out on the 50-over final title, after losing in 2015 also against the hosts in Australia.
The four have also formed the core of the test squad for the past decade along with wicketkeeper BJ Watling with Tom Latham, Neil Wagner, Henry Nicholls and Colin de Grandhomme joining along the way, forming a formidable, yet not perfect, test side.
Heading into the World Test Championship, where few would have backed New Zealand to lift the mace by the end of it, what they really lacked was another reliable opening batsman and they got that only recently in Devon Conway. They didn't lack another pace bowler but got one anyway - Kyle Jamieson - to form a winning four-pace attack that led them into a final, which seemed highly unlikely after a 3-0 sweep in Australia.
It was a remarkable run from there. From Wagner bowling on two broken toes, to Mitchell Santer's one-handed grab at the Mount. Williamson's stunning form over the home summer and the ever-reliable fielding throughout - while ignoring one Taylor sitter against West Indies and Southee's drop of Rishabh Pant on day six- yes, catches win World Test Championships.
The Black Caps have had the confidence to become world champions for a while now. How can you not after making back-to-back ODI World Cup finals?
It all started under captain Brendon McCullum and coach Mike Hesson and didn't take long for Williamson and Gary Stead to continue what has become the golden generation.
Williamson was asked after today's final win over India whether this is the greatest moment in New Zealand cricket history. "It's hard for me to say," he responded. Humble as ever.
Well, yes Kane, it is.
The World Test Championship campaign kicked off on August 1, 2019, but for the Black Caps the starting point for this current test side was nine months earlier in Abu Dhabi, Stead's first test in charge.
Ajaz Patel took five wickets as Pakistan crumbled in the final session resulting in a four-run win for the Black Caps - the fifth smallest winning margin in test history. An early sign of the success and also on-field drama to come for this team under Stead, including an ODI World Cup final that was decided by a boundary count.
How did the Black Caps back that up in the second test? In, up until then, probably what would be considered typical New Zealand cricket fashion, they were bowled out for just 90 in the first innings of the second test and lost by an innings. But this side isn't your typical New Zealand team. They are our best ever and they turned it around thanks to centuries from Williamson and Nicholls and the bowling of spinners Patel and Will Somerville to bounce back and secure a 2-1 series win. It was the side's first away test series win over Pakistan since 1969 and just their fifth in Asia. That's how you build confidence and belief.
Here's how their World Test Championship campaign unfolded.
Not an ideal start to their World Test Championship campaign, which began in Galle, with the Black Caps losing by six wickets to Sri Lanka. It kicked off with a three-spin attack in Santner, Somerville and Patel, which is ironic since they didn't play one spin bowler in the final. We were still a year away from Jamieson's debut and two years from Conway's maiden double ton.
Dimuth Karunaratne scored 122 as Sri Lanka chased 268 to win the first test.
The Black Caps responded with a commanding performance in the second test in Colombo. Latham made 154 and Watling 105, including a rapid passage of play with Southee to build a lead, as New Zealand reached 431 for six before declaring with a decent first innings advantage. Constant weather interruptions made a draw the most likely result for the majority of the test, but the Black Caps bowlers turned the tables on day five. Patel ran out Lahiru Thirimanne in the opening over as Sri Lanka tried to save the test and win the series. Things didn't get much better from there as the home side were bowled out for 122 and New Zealand won by an innings and 65 runs, sharing the series.
60 valuable WTC points for the one test win for New Zealand (while Australia claimed 56 from two Ashes wins and a draw in England, which certain Ashes-proud players took issue with). Player of the series – BJ Watling.
There was no shortage of anticipation for the series and especially the second test, for which the Black Capsd grace the MCG for the first time since 1987. It was also a four-month wait since the last test in Sri Lanka. The Black Caps seemed on the back foot from the first innings of the first test with Marnus Labuschagne leading the way with 143 as Australia posted 416. The Black Caps made 166 with Taylor's 80 the only score of note. The bowlers responded well, Southee taking 5-69 but New Zealand were still left a daunting 468 to win. They only made 171 for a heavy 296-run defeat.
It was much of the same in Melbourne. Australia made a big first innings score and the Black Caps failed to fire. Tom Blundell at least made his maiden test ton in the second innings with a fighting 121 but another defeat by 247 runs gave Australia the series and made hopes of a World Test Championship very unlikely for New Zealand.
The third test was no doubt the low of the tour with Williamson and Henry Nicholls ruled out because of illness on the morning of the test and Southee for form. With Boult injured with a fractured hand, Matt Henry and de Grandhomme opened the bowling. Glenn Phillips made 50 on debut but there was little else to celebrate as Australia made it 3-0 with a 279-run win.
0 WTC points. Player of the series - Marnus Labuschagne.
Five tests into their WTC campaign and four defeats for the Black Caps. No one was even considering an appearance in the final or let alone claiming the title from there. But they were in their own conditions and would be for the final six tests. India arrived having beaten West Indies 2-0 (away), South Africa 3-0 (home) and Bangladesh 2-0 (home). The turning point for the Black Caps came with the test debut of one Kyle Jamieson at the Basin Reserve. Jaimeson and Southee ripped through India's first innings with four wickets each as the tourists made 165. Kane Williamson fell 11 short of a century as the Black Caps built a lead with 348. India failed to pass 200 again and the Black Caps chased down just nine in the second innings for the 100th New Zealand test victory.
In Christchurch, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari all made half centuries but didn't go on as Jamieson took 5-45. India finished with 242 and actually had held a first innings lead of seven runs when the Black Caps responded with 235, with Jamieson saving New Zealand with a lower-order 49. Southee and Boult then did the job to take seven wickets between them as India struggled to 124. Latham (52) and Blundell (55) almost got New Zealand there before three quick wickets gave the Black Caps a seven-wicket win and a 2-0 series win.
120 more WTC points and also denying table topping India anything from the series. Player of the series – Tim Southee
Almost a year later and a little thing called Covid-19 had played havoc with the WTC schedule, not to mention every other thing around the world. The Black Caps' away series in Bangladesh was cancelled and the revised formula was pretty simple when West Indies arrived last December – win the upcoming four tests and New Zealand maybe could have a slight possible chance of reaching the final.
The first test in Hamilton was Williamson's test. A first innings knock of 251, his highest test score, from the skipper set up a big first innings total and the foursome of Southee, Boult, Jamieson and Wagner did the rest as the West Indies were bowled out for 137 and then 247 as New Zealand captured an innings victory.
Williamson then skipped the second test for the birth of his first child as Latham stepped in to captain. It was much of the same. This time it was Nicholls with the big score, making 174, and Wagner got 66 at number 10 as the Black Caps only batted once, making 460, before winning by an innings and 12 runs. Southee and Jamieson both took five wickets in the West Indies first innings in a series dominated by the New Zealand pace bowlers.
The full 120 WTC points. Player of the series – Kyle Jamieson
Four-and-a-half overs to spare. That was all that was left in the first test at Bay Oval as Santner plucked a caught and bowled to dismiss Pakistan's No 11 Naseem Shah and keep New Zealand's WTC final hopes alive. New Zealand dominated for the first four days, Williamson returning with another ton, but victory looked unlikely with Pakistan 215/4 at tea on the final day. But a remarkable final session and the removal of Fawad Alam led to a famous win by 101 runs and little time to spare.
After the dramatic finish in the Mount, the second test will go down as the most dominant of the WTC and a perfect exclamation point on the series for New Zealand. Jamieson kicked things off with yet another five-wicket bag as Pakistan were bowled out for 297. New Zealand then responded with 659 for six thanks to a 369-run partnership between Williamson (238) and Nicholls (157). Daryl Mitchell pitched in with his maiden test century. Jamieson then took 6-48 to finish with 11 for the match as New Zealand wrapped up the match in four days to go number one in the world.
120 WTC points and suddenly a top two spot. Player of the series - Kane Williamson
Meanwhile over in Australia, the Aussies and India were playing out a thrilling four test series. Australia were docked four points in the championship because of a slow over rate in their second-test defeat to India at the MCG. Thanks to Aussie skipper Tim Paine and his inability to give his bowlers the hurry-up, and then cancelled Australian tour of South Africa, New Zealand were the first side through to the WTC final.
They didn't play South Africa, Bangladesh or England (officially, although did beat them in two unofficial series) but the seven wins, and remarkably zero draws, from 11 tests earned a 70 per cent win, which eventually was enough to reach the final at Lord's, later changed to soaky Southampton.
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