New Zealand have won the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) title, beating India by eight wickets in tense final at the Hampshire Bowl.
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Chasing 139 for victory in a low-scoring, weather-hit match on Wednesday, New Zealand romped home in the final session of the reserve day, which was activated to make up for lost time over the first five days.
It was fitting that New Zealand's inspirational captain Kane Williamson should lead them home, unbeaten on 52, with another great Kiwi cricket servant Ross Taylor still there on 47 as they reached 2-140to become Test cricket's first official world champions.
Their all-seam attack set up the victory by bowling out India for 217 and 170 in the game which lost two full days to rain.
Their victory made sweet amends for a side which had lost in the finals of the last two 50-overs World Cups.
Rishabh Pant had earlier been the top-scorer for India with a cavalier 41, while Rohit Sharma made 30.
The weather-disrupted final marked the culmination of a two-year cycle of the WTC, which was launched in 2019 to create Test cricket's pinnacle event.
Australian Associated Press
