The International Cricket Council announced today that New Zealand, the victors of the much-anticipated ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final between India and New Zealand, will receive a prize of $ 1.6 million as well as the ICC Test Championship Mace. India will get $ 800,000 for coming second in the nine-team competition, which lasted nearly two years and added meaning to Test cricket by crowning the first recognized global champions in the game’s longest format.
New Zealand won their first ICC championship in 21 years on Wednesday, defeating India by eight wickets in the World Test Championship Final at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. The Test mace, which was formerly awarded to the No. 1 Test team in the ICC Test rankings, was lifted by Kane Williamson’s Champion side.
The World Test Championship (WTC) Final was supposed to be the peak of achievement for an Indian Test squad that has been unstoppable at home for the previous five and a half years, winning historic tournaments in Australia, the West Indies, and Sri Lanka. However, it turned out to be another example of Indian batting’s vulnerability to good seam and swing bowling.
Rain played a significant role in the game, and the conditions were strongly in New Zealand’s favor due to their previous experience playing on similar pitches at home. But, in the end, the Indians needed to bat out two sessions of a Test match to share the championship, something they were unable to achieve.
With this loss, India’s winless streak in ICC events continues, and concerns regarding the team’s failure to clear the final barrier at a time when Indian cricket is at its best must be asked. Those questions must and should be raised, and the Indian cricket board and its players must respond rather than sweeping the issue under the rug owing to their hubris.
Other Teams
The prize money isn’t simply for the teams who make it to the final. According to an ICC statement, Australia, England, and Pakistan would each get $450,000 (Rs 3.8 crore), $350,000 (Rs 2.62 crore), and $200,000 (Rs 1.5 crore) in prize money. The remaining four teams, which include the West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, will each receive $100,000 (Rs 75 lakh).
“The prize money for the team finishing third in the ICC WTC standings is $450,000 (Rs.3.38 crore approx). The team fourth on the table will be awarded $350,000 (Rs.2.62 crore), the one that finishes fifth gets $200,000 (Rs.1.5 crore approx) while the remaining four teams will get $100,000 each (Rs.75 lakh per team),” ICC said.
