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Cricket Players'Underdog tag has gone away': Ajit Agarkar says 'Team India will not underestimate New Zealand' ahead of WTC final
Perhaps, this is why former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar believes that Virat Kohli will not be underestimating their opponents lightly. In a recent discussion on Star Sports' Cricket Connected chat show, Agarkar said that Kane Williamson's team are no longer the underdogs.
Virat Kohli has a chance to win his maiden ICC trophy next month as captain. The stage is set for the India skipper Kohli to indulge in a showdown with Kane Williamson-led New Zealand team at the inaugural World Test Championship final in Southampton, and the anticipation for the contest has already reached its peak. The big question is - will Kohli's Indian team be able to pick up a win over the Kiwis or will Williamson's NZ will once again emerge victorious?
To give the context, India had suffered two back-to-back defeats in the two-match Test series against New Zealand in 2020. This will be the first time the two teams will meet after those harrowing defeats suffered by Kohli & co.
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Perhaps, this is why former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar believes that Virat Kohli will not be underestimating their opponents lightly. In a recent discussion on Star Sports' Cricket Connected chat show, Agarkar said that Kane Williamson's team are no longer the underdogs.
“I hope not. I don't think the Indian team would be guilty to underestimate them (The Kiwis). I think the underdog tag has gone away from New Zealand. Every ICC tournament you look at – okay, this is the first of its kind, Test championship – every ICC tournament, whether it's the T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy, the World Cup; they always turn up, they're always there in the thereabout," Agarkar said.
"If not the finals, then in the quarterfinals or the semi-finals. And that's a testament to their consistency. So, the underdog tag should go. Yes, there are, perhaps bigger names in some of the other teams and that's why you count them as favorites," he added.
"So, I don't think India will be underestimating them. They beat India comprehensively well when India toured New Zealand and the conditions are likely to be very similar to what India got in New Zealand. So, India will have to play well to beat New Zealand in this contest," he signed off.
(Cricket Connected now airs every Monday at 2 PM & 5 PM IST on the Star Sports Network. The show has cricketing legends engage with fans through video calls discussing a range of topics.)
