Wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant and star player Cheteshwar Pujara have rated the Gabba Test, in which India defeated Australia by three wickets against all odds to take the series 2-1, as their favourite game in the longest format. India will be locking horns against New Zealand in the WTC finals, beginning Friday, at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.


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Ahead of the match, players from both teams revealed their favourite Tests to date which either they have been part of or watched as a cricket fan. “For me, Gabba is one of my best Test matches which I have played also,” said Pant in a video posted on ICC on Twitter.


“Personally which I have played is definitely at the Gabba. As a batsman, my favourite knock in at Adelaide but as an Indian team, my favourite Test is at the Gabba,” said Pujara.



India pacer Jasprit Bumrah picked his debut Test against South Africa in 2018 as his favourite one. “My favourite Test match was the first one that I played in South Africa because a lot of hard work was put in before that and I really wanted to play Tests,” said Bumrah.


New Zealand pacers Trent Boult and Tim Southee picked debut Test and 2005 Ashes their favourite game respectively in the longest format. “My first one will obviously be pretty memorable. The match against Australia in 2011 which we won by six runs,” said Boult. “Any Test match you won is always special. As a fan watching the 2005 Ashes Test series was something that really equipped me as a cricket fan,” said Southee.


The winners of the much-awaited WTC final between India and New Zealand will take home a purse of $1.6 million along with the ICC Test Championship Mace. The losing team will get $800,000 for finishing second in the nine-team competition, which was played over a near two-year cycle, adding context to Test cricket and to crown the first official world champions in the longest format of the game.


(With ANI inputs)