Following the Kiwis’ victory, Tim Paine has come forward to apologize to New Zealand for his prediction that India would easily beat the Kiwis during the WTC final
Australian skipper Tim Paine had made an extreme prediction before the WTC Finals. He had said that India would โcomfortably beat New Zealandโ in the ICC World Test Championship Final in Southampton on 18th-23rd June. But it was New Zealand that emerged victorious instead. Read on to know what Tim Paine had to say for his apology.
Tim Paine Apologizes To New Zealand For His Wrong Prediction After The WTC Final
Paine spoke to the New Zealand radio station Newstalk ZB and said the following. “We all get some wrong. I copped a bit from the Kiwi fans, so I thought Iโd come on air and eat some humble pie. I thought the New Zealanders played outstandingly,โ Paine went on to say that it’s always a pleasure to watch small nations go about it and punch above their weight.
An incredible moment in @BLACKCAPS history ๐
Congratulations to Kane Williamson and his team ๐#WTC21 #INDvNZ
— ICC (@ICC) June 24, 2021
To expound his point, he also mentioned how he belongs to Tasmania, which is the smallest resource state of Australia. This is interesting because many people have called the India vs New Zealand match as one between David and Goliath, given how different the resources of both states are.
What had Tim Paine said earlier?
India had defeated Australia 2-1 in ESPNCricinfoโs greatest Test series of all-time. The Men in Blue then went on to beat England 3-1 to qualify for the WTC final. On the other hand, New Zealand had played all their matches at home and was the first team to qualify for the final. Although Australia beat New Zealand 3-0, skipper Tim Paine felt that the Blackcaps side were going into the WTC final against India much stronger. This he owed especially to especially talents like Kyle Jamieson and Devon Conway.
While speaking to the media in a press conference in Brisbane, Tim Paine has said that “India will win pretty comfortably if they play anywhere near their best.”ย But despite losing two days to rain, Kane Williamson’s team defeated the Virat Kohli’s team by 8 wickets in 3 and a half days time.