World Test Championship Final is going to be one game that would be played between the top two sides of the World Test Championship Cycle (2021-2023) on the basis of win percentage. The last World Test Championship final was played in 2021 where New Zealand defeated India to become the inaugural champions of this coveted championship.
There are still questions on whether the World Test Championship should be a one-off game or a three-match series. Many believe that a one-off game doesn't do justice to the trophy and here are the arguments behind it:
- World Test Championship cycle is of 2 years where every team plays 3 away series and 3 home series and the teams being in the top 2 play the final. After 2 years of proceedings, it all comes down to a single game on a neutral venue which decides the winner. We have seen many times that a team wins the series after losing the first game and such is the nature of Test cricket. Thus, a 3-match series will do more justice to the trophy.
- In limited-overs international cricket, we only have one final because the tournament is played for 2 months on the trot in a particular country, the teams get used to pitches and conditions as they have been playing in the same conditions for the past 2 months but in this format, you go to the final to play a one-off game in alien conditions, one doesn't even get time to get used to the conditions and if teams have one of those bad days, then the hard work of 2 years gets ruined. The same was the case with team India last time when they played the WTC Final.
India vs Australia is the most followed Test series in the world along with the Ashes. Both the teams faced each other last, in February-March 2023 where India won by 2-1 and we can definitely expect one belter of a game from these two quality sides.
Team News
India
Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, K L Rahul, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat.
There are not many changes in India's squad from what they fielded vs Australia in the recently concluded Border Gavaskar trophy, they have brought back Ajinkya Rahane for World Test Championship Final as Shreyas Iyer is missing from the squad due to injury.
Ajinkya Rahane in Ranji Trophy 2022-23
11 innings
634 runs
57.64 average
The veteran had displayed good batting during the Ranji Trophy season and now is all set to play his 2nd consecutive World Test Championship Final.
Cheteshwar Pujara who wasn't up to the mark against the Aussies this summer has been playing county games in England for Sussex to prepare for the challenge of the final. Virat Kohli who looked fluent on the not-so-challenging wicket of Ahmedabad against Australia where he scored 180-odd has regained the confidence to score big in red-ball cricket and that will be a huge boost for team India. Indian bowlers who are a part of the squad have done well in IPL and hopefully, they can continue their rhythm in red-ball cricket. For India, it's all about playing for glory, they have been part of many semis and finals in the last 10 years but are yet to taste success since they last won an ICC trophy in 2013. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin were part of the World Test Championship 2021 final and now they would like to replicate the heroics in the final. The captain Rohit Sharma will be the first time leading a Test side on an overseas tour since he became the permanent Test captain.
Injury concerns
India will still be without the services of their premium bowler Jasprit Bumrah, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, and aggressive middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer.
Players to watch out
1) M Shami
M Shami who has taken 225 wickets in 63 Tests will be the biggest threat for Australia when they take on India. M Shami has been the best bowler for India for the last few years. He has the best seam position in the world and is known for pitching right up consistently, in seaming conditions Shami's known for making batsmen play a wrong shot with his consistent line and length. If M Shami gets rhythm then he would be unable to stop. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, M Shami will lead India's pace attack.
2) R Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin won his 9th Man of the Series when India last played Australia and is currently, the number 1 Test bowler and 2nd ranked all-rounder is in the form of his life. He's bowling well and he's making runs as well. At 36, the man is turning the clocks and getting better day by day. Australia's team has 7-8 left-handers in their squad for the WTC final and they will be against a man who's got the record of taking the most Test wickets against the left-handers. Ashwin has troubled Smith in 2 consecutive series now and he will be the key for India to dismiss him cheaply again
Australia
Squad: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vice-captain), Mitchell Starc, David Warner
David Warner who was once their premium batter tends to be their weak link now as he has just been struggling to get going in the red-ball format. For Australia, a lot will depend on how Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steve Smith go, these four batters are Australia's key to success. The final game will be all about bowlers dominating the batsman as both these teams have got a bowling-heavy unit.
1) Pat Cummins
Captain Pat Cummins will be coming fresh after a long break. He left Border-Gavaskar Trophy midway due to family reasons and also wasn't a part of the IPL. He's got a fabulous record when it comes to bowling in English conditions. Indian batsman will find it hard to play Pat Cummins in swinging conditions. He's played only one series in England where he took 29 wickets in 5-Ashes Test matches where he destroyed the English batting lineup in their own backyard.
2) Steve Smith
Steve Smith who hasn't been in the best of forms from his own extremely high standards since the lockdown will be playing at his favorite place against one of his favourite oppositions, most of Steve Smith's centuries have come against England and India. The former Test number 1 batsman will play his biggest Test match when he takes the field against India. The ultimate goal of any cricketer is to represent their team in the Test format and the greatest Test batsman of this era will be playing to win the crown of Test for his nation. It will be integral for India to dismiss him as soon as possible as if he gets set then there's no way he would give you chances later on in his innings.
WTC Final stats
Thread
1. Results
India at The Oval in the last 10 years:
2014: Lost
2018: Lost
2021: Won (Batting 1st)
India won the toss in 2021
Australia at The Oval in the last 10 years:
2013: Draw
2015: Won (Batting 1st)
2019: Lost
Australia won the toss in 2015
2. Scores of Indian batsman at Oval
Rohit- 11, 127
KL Rahul- 37, 149, 17, 46
Pujara- 4, 11, 37, 0, 4, 61
Kohli- 6, 20, 49, 0, 50, 44
Rahane- 0, 4, 0, 37, 14, 0
Jadeja- 86*, 13, 10, 17
Ashwin- 13, 7
Thakur- 57, 60
Umesh- 10, 25
Shami- 1, 0
3. Scores of Australian batsman at Oval
Warner- 6, 12, 85, 5, 11
Harris- 3, 9
Smith- 138*, 7, 143, 80, 23
Labuschagne- 48, 14
M. Marsh- 3, 17, 24
Cummins- 0, 9
Starc- 13, 13*, 58
Lyon- 0*, 5*, 25, 1
Wickets of Indian bowlers at The Oval
Ashwin- 3
Jadeja- 4, 3, 2, 2
Shami- 0, 2
Siraj- 1, 0
Thakur- 1, 2
Umesh- 3, 3
Wickets of Australia bowlers at The Oval
Lyon- 1, 0, 2, 2, 0, 4
Cummins- 3, 2
Hazlewood- 2, 0
Starc- 3, 0, 0, 0
M. Marsh- 3, 2, 5, 2
Smith- 0, 1
Leading run scorers in India vs Australia test from current squads
Cheteshwar Pujara - 43 innings
2033 - runs
50.82 avg
Virat Kohli - 42 innings
1979 - runs
48.26 avg
Steve Smith - 35 innings
1887 - runs
65.06 avg
Leading wickets takers from current squads
Most wickets
Nathan Lyon - 47 innings
116 wicket
Ravi Ashwin - 42 innings
114 wickets
7. The Pitch
Avg of spinners: 32.3
Avg of seamers: 29.1
Strike rate of spinners: 58.8
Strike rate of seamers: 54.2
There's not much of a difference when the record of spinners is compared to the seam counterparts. It's pretty much balanced and there's always everything open for both.
Predicted 11 - India
1) Rohit Sharma (C)
2) Shubhman Gil
3) Cheteshwar Pujara
4) Virat Kohli
5) Ajinkya Rahane
6) KS Bharat (WK)
7) Ravi Jadeja
8) Ravi Ashwin
9) Shardul Thakur
10) M Shami
11) M Siraj
Predicted 11 - Australia
1) Usman Khawaja
2) Marcus Haris / David Warner
3) Marnus Labuschagne
4) Steve Smith
5) Travis Head
6) Cameron Green
7) Alex Carey
8) Pat Cummins
9) M Starc
10) Nathan Lyon
11) Michael Neser
