ICC WTC Final: “They will be a lot more conditioned”, says Ross Taylor forIndian Test team, after IPL’s early finish
Taylor also told that IPL 2021 suspension has played into their hands a little, as Indians will get more time to settle in England.
New Zealand middle-order batsman Ross Taylor has pointed out that suspension of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has given India a better chance to get acclimatized to England’s conditions while they get prepared for the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Talking to reporters on Sunday, Taylor stated that if IPL 2021 ended on its original schedule i.e. May 30th, Indians would have got smaller preparation time leading up to the WTC final. The final clash is scheduled to played from 18 to 22 June between India and New Zealand with 23 being reserve day.
“For India, IPL finishing early under unfortunate circumstances has probably played into their hands a little,” Taylor said.
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“If IPL would have gone on they would have had a smaller preparation but now they will be a lot more conditioned, their bowlers will have their loads up,” he explained.
Taylor who has represented New Zealand in 195 Tests said Kiwis have a slight edge over India as New Zealand will be playing a two-match Test series against hosts England ahead of the WTC final.
“I would be lying if you think there isn’t some sort of thought about the WTC final but I couldn’t think of a better preparation than playing two Tests against England. At the end of the day, it’s a neutral venue.
“Playing two Tests gives us a slight advantage but this Indian team has been number one for a long period of time and has had a lot of success over here,” he observed.