"Maarenge bhi hum..bachaenge bhi hum" - Fans react as New Zealand eke out a thrilling win over Sri Lanka to ensure India a place in WTC final

Team India have qualified for the final of the World Test Championship (WTC), thanks to New Zealand's thrilling two-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test in Christchurch on Monday, March 13.

Sri Lanka would have leapfrogged India in the points table had they beaten the Kiwis 2-0 in their two-match series, provided Rohit Sharma and Co. fail to defeat Australia in the ongoing fourth Test in Ahmedabad.

However, the Lankan Lions' hopes were shattered as they suffered a heartbreaking loss in the opening Test. The match proved to be an enthralling one, with the Kiwis requiring 253 runs to win in 53 overs on Day 5 after 37 overs were lost due to rain.

Kane Williamson starred with the bat for the hosts, scoring an unbeaten 121 to take his team to a famous victory. The game went down to the wire as New Zealand needed eight runs from the final over with just three wickets in hand.

Williamson held his nerves, helping his side chase down the target on the final ball. Following the win, a number of Indian fans took to social media, expressing their delight over India making it to the WTC final.

New Zealand needed one run off the final delivery. While there was a run-out opportunity, Williamson produced a full-stretched dive to cross the line before the ball hit the stumps.

It is worth mentioning that following the loss, Sri Lanka became the last team to get knocked out of the WTC final race.

India and Australia to lock horns in the WTC final

India will join Australia in the highly anticipated WTC final clash. The match is set to be played at the Oval in London between June 7 and 11. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has kept June 12 as the reserve day for the important fixture.

This is the second time in a row that India have qualified for the summit clash. They faced New Zealand in the first-ever edition of the WTC in 2021, where they suffered an eight-wicket loss.

India and Australia are currently battling it out in a four-match Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Rohit Sharma and Co. have a 2-1 lead to their name, thanks to their comprehensive wins in the first two fixtures.

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Aditya writes news, features, listicles, and exclusive pieces at Sportskeeda as a cricket journalist. After completing his MBA in Sports Management from Symbiosis, he started his professional journey and has a total work experience of 5 years, which included a stint at Republic World. Impressively, he has also done exclusive on-site coverage of two T20 World Cups (2021, 2022), the 2023 ODI World Cup, and 5 editions of IPL, and boasts a total readership of close to 14 million at Sportskeeda. He has also played cricket professionally at the AIU Zonal level for Ahmedabad district.

Aditya admires Virat Kohli’s exemplary discipline, dedication, and hard work. Kohli’s ‘Shot of the Century’ against Haris Rauf is a moment that left a lasting impact on him, ultimately teaching him a valuable life lesson that self-belief will always bear fruit. His favorite teams are the Indian Cricket Team and the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Aditya believes in sourcing information only from trusted sources rather than any random social media posts on the story and being neutral and honest are his reporting strengths. When not writing, he enjoys playing snooker and pickleball with his friends, and he is also a self-proclaimed coffee aficionado.

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