With the World Test Championship final starting from Friday, the biggest names of international cricket have turned their attention towards the one-off contest between the two leading titans, India and New Zealand.

And as it is inevitable, the war of words between the two sides who will be locking horns at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl cricket ground has already started.

However, New Zealand legend and Mumbai Indians bowling coach, Shane Bond explains that the banter between the leader of Blackcaps’ bowling attack, Trent Boult and the opener for the Indian batting line-up, Rohit Sharma, began way before the two sides were even in the United Kingdom for the clash.

According to Bond, Sharma and Boult, who are Mumbai Indians teammates, began their rivalry, albeit a little casual back then, during the first leg of the Indian Premier League, 2021.

"What I do know is that even during the IPL season, Trent Boult was running in, swinging the ball and hitting him (Sharma) on the pads and telling him, 'that's what is going to happen in the World Test Championship final'," Bond said on Star Sports about how the Kiwi pace-man tried to intimidate Sharma.

"So he (Boult) was talking about it four months in advance. There was banter going on, which was just brilliant. Those two were very aware that they were going to come up against each other," Bond added. 

However, Bond realises that when you are going against a veteran player like the ‘Hitman’, such intimidation may not be enough and more often than not, the opponents end up in the dirt.

"I love Rohit Sharma as a player, I see him almost in a Matt Hayden kind of role where he goes out, as he did against England in the series in India on very difficult wickets, and he imposes himself," Bond said.

"He could come out and score very quickly, he's that sort of player, very dynamic in difficult conditions, like Rishabh Pant, can take the game away from a team in a very good hour even when New Zealand are bowling with the new ball. So with the field up and he's such a stroke-maker, it sort of suits him being at the top of the order when the ball is hard.

"There are obviously some areas in his game which New Zealand will look to exploit but what he does do is he scores fast and if he can score fast and put runs on the board, that instantly puts pressure on the bowling attack and there's nothing worse as a bowler than going for runs, especially if you're trying to pitch the ball up."

All eyes will be on the Kiwis and the Men in Blue after they battled and won against the rest of the world and came out as the top two teams to take part in the World Test Championship finals between 18-22 June.

View the full article