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Bengaluru record vs India followed by T20WC title? Why this could be the greatest day in New Zealand's sporting history
New Zealand could complete a hat-trick of famous victories to mark a glorious spell in their sporting history today.
It has already been a phenomenal 24 hours for sports in New Zealand. A country which only has a population of under 6 million people — smaller than most Indian cities — has always been known for punching above its weight, especially in cricket.
The men’s cricket team has already registered a famous win over India in their opening Test match of the three-match series. It has been 36 years since the Black Caps registered a victory in a Test match in India, and this is only their third triumph in India overall. Rachin Ravindra led a famous 8-wicket victory, as the heroic efforts of Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant proved not to be enough.
On the cricket front, New Zealand can make it a famous double victory, as the women’s team prepares to take on South Africa in the Women’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai.
While the women’s team won the ODI World Cup all the way back in 2000, this is the first time the New Zealand team could win a T20 World Cup in either the men’s or women’s tournaments.
The Sophie Devine-led team will look to make history, and the double victory could mark a famous moment in New Zealand cricket.
A hat-trick for New Zealand in the America's Cup
Beyond cricket, New Zealand had another massive moment as they retained the historic and famous America’s Cup in sailing, as Emirates Team New Zealand wrapped up a 7-2 victory over British representatives Ineos Brittania in Barcelona.
The competition takes place in a best-of-13 format, and the Kiwis extend their run of dominance, marking the fifth time they have won the famous ‘Auld Mug’ of sailing. They become only the second team to win three consecutive editions of the tournament, following the USA team which won it thrice between 1987 and 1992.
According to Sir Ben Ainslie, who is the captain of Great Britain’s sailing team, the New Zealand outfit is “the best team ever in the America's Cup”, he admitted to the BBC following the defeat.
If the New Zealand women’s team can add another trophy to the cabinet, it will certainly signal one of the greatest spells in New Zealand sporting history.
New Zealand’s proudest sports moment might remain the All Blacks’ win in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In a World Cup on home turf, with the pressure of massive expectations, the rugby team beat France in one of the most exciting finals of all time in the sport, as they snapped a 24-year World Cup drought. With rugby union being the national sport of New Zealand, that probably continues to stand as the gold standard of any sporting accomplishment for the island nation.
