WTC Final: Mike Hesson picks the battle that 'could decide the outcome' of the grand finale

Former Black Caps head coach Mike Hesson believes the battle between India's much-acclaimed top-order and New Zealand's swing bowlers could decide the end result of the upcoming inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The top two teams in Test cricket, India and New Zealand, are set to lock horns in the grand finale of the WTC at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, starting from June 18.

Team India's batters are yet to prove themselves against the swinging bowl as their flawed techniques were exposed during India's tour of New Zealand in 2020. New Zealand's highly-rated pacers – Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson owned the Indian batsmen as the Kiwis sealed the two-match Test series 2-0. Southee, Boult, and Jamieson had finished with 14, 11, and 9 wickets respectively.

Even in the ongoing first Test between New Zealand and England at the Lord's, the Kiwi bowlers have been dominant. The tourists restricted England at 275 in the second innings, where Southee picked up six wickets, Wagner one, and Jamieson three. Boult is not playing the underway Test in London.

In an interview with Times of India, Hesson has said that the pitch at Rose Bowl in Southampton assists swing bowlers, while the regular cross breeze could further trouble the batsmen.

"I am keen to see how India's top-order fares against the swinging ball. The ball does a bit in Southampton and as the cross breeze comes into play, it can be a challenge for the batsmen. How the Indian top-order plays the New Zealand pacers could decide the outcome," Hesson said in the interview.

While the ongoing Test series against England is preparing New Zealand for the big final, Team India is currently in quarantine and the players have started their training sessions individually.

Hesson has worked independently with both skippers – Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) director has compared the two contrasting captaincy styles, saying Williamson is a "slow burn" tactician, whereas Kohli is "constantly looking for ways to put his side in the driver's seat".

"Both are very good leaders and yes, both are different in their style of captaincy. Kane is more of a slow-burn in the sense that he likes to put pressure over a period of time. Virat, on the other hand, is constantly looking for ways to put his side in the driver's seat. The WTC final will be a test of captaincy for both Kane and Virat. As the wicket changes from day to day, it will be interesting to see how both Kane and Virat make those little tweaks in their strategies to stay ahead," explained Hesson.