'The tricky part is to maintain this' - Dale Steyn reveals the challenge ahead for World Test Champions New Zealand

It won’t be wrong to say that New Zealand were the underdogs in the World Test Championship. Over the course of two years, the Kiwi team produced some fine performances to book a berth for themselves in the final of the showpiece event. Playing the final against a decorated Indian line-up, the Blackcaps delivered one of their best performances in all the three facts of the game. 

The team scripted history as they won the final by eight wickets and became the winners of the inaugural World Test Championship final to lift the illustrious Test mace. While New Zealand is receiving applause and appreciation from all over the cricket fraternity, South Africa’s pace merchant Dale Steyn opened up on the biggest challenge for the World Test Champions.

Notably, BJ Watling played his last match for New Zealand in the WTC final. While Watling has already announced his retirement from the international circuit, the veteran batsman Ross Taylor can also pull down curtains to his career anytime in the future. 

This is the best Test team that New Zealand have ever put out there: Dale Steyn

Both Watling and Taylor form an invaluable part of the New Zealand Test team. Thus, Steyn believes that it will be tough for the Kiwis to maintain their status of World Test Champions in the absence of two veteran players. “The tricky part for New Zealand now is to maintain this. 

“Because Ross Taylor there’s talk of him potentially retiring. BJ Watling has announced this is his last Test match. He was just getting better and better as a wicketkeeper-batsman as the years went on. So now you’ve got to start replacing some of these more senior players that are always there in the team,” Steyn told ESPNcricinfo. 

Further in the interaction, the speedster lavished praises on the New Zealand team saying that this is the best team New Zealand has ever played with. Dale believes that the thing which makes the Blackcaps team more special is that they have more than one match-winners.

“They have got more than just one great (player). They will happily say this is the best Test team that they have ever put out there. All round,” Steyn concluded.