The same team. Same grand stage. Same glorious, world-beating scenes in the fading British sunlight.
Different winner.
On Wednesday, it was New Zealand who was — finally, mercifully — crowned world champion.
It was an underdog achievement that, for all of the inaugural World Test Championship’s shambolic shortcomings, may have been worth fighting for after all.
But it’s a lie to say the competition is alive and well after the thrilling, ‘extra time’ finale, worth $2.1 million to the winners and $1.1 million to the runners-up.
The truth is the International Cricket Council can consider itself awfully fortunate that it all came to this, when utter failure for the competition seemed relatively assured.
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