Ind vs Eng 4th Test: Notwithstanding the hype surrounding the World Test Championship (WTC) final, India skipper Virat Kohli lamented that it was “just a distraction” for teams that were not “motivated enough” to play Test cricket.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the 4th Test that will be played at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, starting Thursday, Kohli said India do not need WTC to be motivated to play Test cricket. Irrespective of ICC’s latest initiative to encourage countries to play the longest format of the sport, India will continue to love playing Tests according to him.
“It might work for teams that are not motivated by Test cricket. But for me, it is a distraction. When you think of the WTC final, you are not giving importance to the Test series. We are playing to win the series and not just to reach the WTC final. In the process if we get there, that’s good,” Kohli said.
However, even though Kohli doesn’t want to give the WTC any extra importance, India are leading the WTC rankings with 490 points and 71 percentage points. If India draw or win the 4th Test against England, they will play New Zealand in the WTC final at the Lord’s in June. New Zealand have already qualified for the final with 420 points and 69.2 percentage points.
For England, they needed a 2-1 or 3-1 result in the series, after the loss in the 3rd Test, their hopes of reaching the final has gone up in smokes. Instead, it is Australia who have a faint hope of reaching the final. Australia are in third place with 69.2 percentage points and if India lose the match, the Kangaroos will play NZ in the final.
India will go into the 4th Test with a 2-1 lead in the series with the confidence of defeating England in the 3rd Test by 10 wickets inside two days. With another turning track expected, England will need some special inspiration to beat the hosts.