Indian team will require a perfect blend of skill and temperament when it clashes with an Australia in the World Test Championship final with an aim to end a decade ICC trophy jinx.
India have been the most consistent side over the past two WTC cycles and also reach knockout phases of major white-ball tournaments over the last 10 years but a trophy has always far away from them.
The last major ICC trophy India won was way back in 2013 when it won the Champions Trophy in England.
Since then, the side has lost three finals and on four occasion in semifinal stage.
It also made an exit at the preliminary stage of the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Out of the six series India play in this cycle, their only series loss came in South Africa and that led to an unexpect change of guard with Rohit Sharma taking over the leadership role from Virat Kohli.
They remain unconquerable at home, drew a hard-fought series in England before surviving a slight scare in Bangladesh.
Winning the big titles is what defines the legacy of a team but whatever may be the outcome of the final at The Oval, India head coach Rahul Dravid’s opinion about his team won’t change.
Rahul Dravid Said :
“In the context of things, you look at this and you see this is the culmination of two years of work. It’s a culmination of a lot of success that gets you here,”.
“Winning the series in Australia, drawing series here, being very competitive everywhere that this team has played in the world over the last five or six years. I think those are things that will never change just because you have or you don’t have an ICC trophy,”.
India ignore the conditions and went with their traditional strength, two spinners against the Black Caps in the final at Southampton two years ago but the move backfire.
As The Oval to host its first ever Test in June in its 143-year existence, India are heading into the unknown and face a couple of key selection calls that might decide the fate of the game.
It will always be a important to play both Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin in the same team but considering that it is only the start of the summer and pitches are fresh but there is a strong case for a fourth pace bowling option.
Rishabh Pant is not available to bail the team out in case of a top-order collapse.
Australia resting ahead of WTC Final is not going to be an advantage: Sunil Gavaskar
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So, the management needs to decide whether it need the ‘X-Factor‘ of Ishan Kishan or the more reliable wicket-keeping skills of K S Bharat.
Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj pick themselves in the pace department and a call needs to be made between old-horse Umesh Yadav and all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
As a modern-day cricketer, one is expect to smoothly switch formats but playing Test cricket in England is never easy.
But the job gets tougher when one has to face the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, who is expect to start in place of injure Josh Hazlewood.
It is being said as the ‘Ultimate Test‘ and it will indeed be one for proven performers like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as well for a rising star like Shubman Gill.
Cheteshwar Pujara will look to extend the rich form he has shown in County cricket and Ajinkya Rahane to deliver in his comeback game.
In comparison to Indians who are match-fit after a long IPL season, Australians will go into the final with fresh mind and body.
Only three of their players were part of the IPL.
Players like Pat Cummins chose to prepare back home and Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith got themselves ready for the long summer with County.
The game could well be decide by how the top-order of either team fares against high-quality pace.
After a couple of prolific seasons, opener Usman Khawaja will be expect to shine on the big stage and David Warner will have a point to prove in the end of his career.
Steve Smith averages close to 100 at this ground and India will need to get rid of him early before he takes the game away.
No matter how the surface will behave, off-spinner Nathan Lyon will continue to ask questions and Cameron Green’s contribution as an all-rounder will be invaluable.
Match will start at 3 PM IST.
Squads for World Test Championship 2023
India
- Rohit Sharma (captain),
- Ravichandran Ashwin,
- KS Bharat,
- Shubman Gill,
- Ravindra Jadeja,
- Virat Kohli,
- Ishan Kishan,
- Cheteshwar Pujara,
- Axar Patel,
- Ajinkya Rahane,
- Mohammad Shami,
- Mohammad Siraj,
- Shardul Thakur,
- Jaydev Unadakt,
- Umesh Yadav.
Reserves: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Suryakumar Yadav.
Australia
- Pat Cummins (captain),
- Scott Boland,
- Alex Carey,
- Cameron Green,
- Marcus Harris,
- Josh Hazlewood,
- Travis Head,
- Usman Khawaja,
- Marnus Labuschagne,
- Nathan Lyon,
- Josh Inglis,
- Todd Murphy,
- Steve Smith,
- Mitchell Starc,
- David Warner.
Reserves: Mitch Marsh, Matt Renshaw
