Virat Kohli gives WTC thumbs-up but would prefer best-of-three final

New Zealand clinched Test mace and $1.6 million prize money after eight-wicket win in Southampton

New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson with the Test mace after defeating India in the World Test Championship final in Southampton. AFP

Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson guided New Zealand to victory in World Test Championship final against India in Southampton on Wednesday, June 23. Getty

New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson guided his team to victory on day six of the World Test Championship final at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. AFP

India fans in the stands cheer their team in Southampton. PA

India's Ravichandran Ashwin, left, and teammates celebrate the dismissal of New Zealand's Devon Conway. AP

India's Mohammed Shami, left, reacts in Southampton on Wednesday .AP

New Zealand's Tim Southee, left, celebrates with teammates the dismissal of India's Mohammed Shami. AP

New Zealand's Ross Taylor takes a catch to dismiss India's Ravichandran Ashwin off the bowling of Trent Boult. Reuters

Trent Boult picked up three wickets in the second innings. Getty

New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson, right, celebrates the dismissal of India's captain Virat Kohli. AP

The World Test Championship (WTC) is a great way to inject excitement into cricket's longest format but the final should be a best-of-three affair, said India captain Virat Kohli after his side lost to New Zealand in a rain-hit one off title decider.

New Zealand became Test cricket's first official world champions on Wednesday by beating Kohli's team by eight wickets in a low-scoring final in Southampton.

The final was decided in the final hour of its reserve day, which was activated to make up for lost time over the first five days.

"It's great for the game," Kohli said of the inaugural WTC, which was launched in 2019 by the governing International Cricket Council (ICC) to create a pinnacle event for the format.

"Test cricket is probably the heartbeat of international cricket. I think this format will definitely help test cricket be exciting.

"It's a great move by ICC and puts that much on the line for every test match and it's going to get more and more exciting from here."

The only aspect of the WTC he did not like was that the winners were determined via a one-off final.

"I'm not in absolute agreement of deciding the best test side in the world over the course of one game, to be very honest," said Kohli, who is waiting for his first ICC trophy as India captain.

"If it is a Test series, it has to be a test of character over three Tests ..."

"It can't just be pressure applied over two days of good cricket and then you suddenly are not a good test side anymore. I don't believe in that."

India coach Ravi Shastri said earlier this month that a best-of-three final would make for more drama and give teams room to stage a comeback, but ICC acting CEO Geoff Allardice poured cold water on the idea due to the difficulty in fitting it into an already crowded calendar.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson also felt scheduling would be a challenge and preferred the one-match shootout.

"The one-off factor does bring a unique dynamic, which does make it exciting and all these sorts of things, and on any given day anything can happen," Williamson said.

"I suppose there's arguments for both sides, and I guess the challenge would be scheduling ..."