WTC final: Massive opportunity to win a title, says Watling
Jun 16, 2021
Southampton [UK], June 16 : New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling has said that his side has a massive opportunity to win an ICC title.
His remarks came as New Zealand gets ready to lock horns against India in the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC), beginning June 18 at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton.
"It's obviously a massive opportunity to win a title, but I think what we've been doing leading into this, winning the games at home this summer, and then obviously winning a Test series against England, it's certainly been fantastic," stuff.co.nz quoted Watling as saying.
"We'll try and do our best and try to carry on the form that we've been playing in for a reasonably long period," he added.
WTC final will be Watling's last Test as he has already announced that he would be hanging up his boots after the upcoming match.
"I'm just looking forward to playing another Test match. It is an exciting one, and I'm certainly pretty pumped to be in the final. I'm just going into it how I do with every other Test -- going through the processes of trying to win a Test match," said Watling.
"I've certainly enjoyed the time I have spent with this team playing cricket for New Zealand. It's been a hell of a journey," he added.
Watling holds the New Zealand Test dismissals record with 249 catches (excluding 10 as a fielder) and eight stumpings -- the best numbers of any current Test keepers. Watling's batting statistics are equally eye-catching: with eight Test centuries to his name and New Zealand records for the fourth and fifth-highest partnerships: 362 with Brendon McCullum against India at the Basin Reserve in 2014, and 365* with current captain Kane Williamson against Sri Lanka at the same ground a year later.
He is just the ninth Test keeper to score a double hundred and was the first to do so against England, when his Player of the Match performance helped win a dramatic Test against England at Bay Oval in November 2019. He also featured in another New Zealand record-partnership in that match as he and Mitchell Santner put on 261 for the seventh wicket.
