'A country of billion people and country of 5 million': Atherton fascinated by 'David and Goliath aspect' of WTC final
Former England skipper Michael Atherton commented on the all-important match that starts from June 18. He compared the two nations and the contrasting nature of their rise.
New Zealand defeated England in the second Test at Edgbaston to clinch the two-match series 1-0. It was the Kiwis’ first win in a Test series in England since 1999 and served as the perfect preparation for the World Test Championship final. New Zealand will play India in the WTC final in Southampton after rising up to number one position in the ICC Test rankings.
Meanwhile, former England skipper Michael Atherton commented on the all-important match that starts from June 18. He compared the two nations and the contrasting nature of their rise. Atherton said the WTC final has the fascination of the David and Goliath story as he compared the size of India and New Zealand.
"It's a fascinating contest in all kinds of ways. Two top-notch sides. Both of them have tremendous strength and depth. Therefore, they will be wondering how to get 11 players on the park because they can easily pick anyone of 15 or 16," Atherton told Sky Sports.
"For me, the fascination is the David and Goliath aspect to it. A country of a billion people, they sell their TV rights for billions of dollars, and a country of 5 million and they probably earn about 15 million dollars in TV rights. So it's a real clash of contrast in cultures. It's absolutely fascinating, I am really looking forward to it," he added.
"They were recently ranked the No. 1 side and they are playing the final on Friday against India. These wins come along rarely though for New Zealand. It took them 56 years to win their first series in England. While they would have their eyes on Friday, this is a significant moment for New Zealand as well," Atherton added.
With the win over England, New Zealand reached the top spot with 123 points, while India slipped to the 2nd spot with 121 points. Australia retained their third position in the list with 108 points, while England slipped to the fourth spot in the list with 107 points.
