WTC Final: What happened in Team India's last Test match in Southampton?

Team India are set to cross swords with New Zealand in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final in Southampton on Friday. The Ageas Bowl will play host to this historic clash that will determine the world's first ICC Test champions.

Interestingly, the Black Caps have never played a Test match on this ground before, but Team India have played two. Unfortunately, India lost both games.

🤩#NewCoverPic | #WTC21 Final pic.twitter.com/F3EsrRM1Gh

— ICC (@ICC) June 17, 2021

In the first India-England Test in Southampton during the 2014 Test series, England posted a mammoth score of 569 runs on the board in their first innings. Half-centuries from Ajinkya Rahane and MS Dhoni helped India to 330 in response.

England scored 205/4 in their second innings to set an unlikely 445-run target for the visitors. Despite Rahane's unbeaten 52-run knock, India managed only 178 in their second innings to lose by 266 runs.

Team India lost their last Test match in Southampton by 60 runs

Sam Curran's all-round brilliance denied India a win in Southampton during the 2018 Test series.

Southampton hosted the fourth Test of the India-England series in 2018. Team India were high on confidence after winning the third Test. Unfortunately, Sam Curran's brilliance put paid to the visitors' hopes of squaring the series.

After winning the toss and batting first, England slumped to 86-6. However, Sam Curran's half-century helped them to 246 in the first innings. Cheteshwar Pujara's unbeaten century ensured India took a slender 27-run first-innings lead.

Mohammed Shami's four-wicket haul restricted England to below 300 in their second innings. Set a 245-run target to win, Virat Kohli's team could only muster 184.

India has lost both their Tests here in 2014 (by 266 runs) and 2018 (by 60 runs) against EnglandNew Zealand is yet to play a Test here.

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) March 8, 2021

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It will be interesting to see if Team India can notch up their first Test win at the Ageas Bowl in the WTC final.