NEWS
Follow UsNew Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling will play his 75th and final Test against India in the World Test Championship (WTC) in Southampton hopes that he can sign off after taking his team home. New Zealand have not won an ICC trophy for over two decades, with the last one coming in 2000 when they won the ICC Knockout Trophy in 2000.
The Blackcaps made it to the World Cup final in 2015 and more recently in 2019, out finished second best on both occasions.
Watling, who missed the second Test against England due to a back injury says that he will prepare for the WTC final as he does for any other Test 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," the 35-year-old said, according to stuff.co.nz.
Watling made his debut in 2009 and soon established himself as New Zealand's first-choice wicketkeeper. He is grateful that he did not have any major injury issues in his career. "I think as a cricketer you have the odd niggle every now and then. The back, it's been pretty good to be fair for most of my career," Watling said.
"There's been a couple of instances when it's just played up a bit, but I think you learn how to manage those types of injuries, and I'm thankful that I haven't been majorly injured over my time. "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 further added.
New Zealand last week won their first Test series in England in 22 years by outplaying the hosts at Edgbaston. "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," the Blackcaps 'keeper said.
"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," Watling added.
(With inputs from PTI)