The Battle for Red Ball Glory: What to Look for in World Test Championship Final 2023

The second edition of the ICC World Test Championship will round off with a final solitary test between India and Australia at the Oval cricket ground in London, starting on June 7. The teams currently ranked no. 1 and 2 in the ICC Test rankings, have a lot at stake to fight for. While it is an opportunity for Australia’s captain Pat Cummins to establish himself as a worthy successor to great Australian captains of the past, the clock is ticking away for India’s captain Rohit Sharma to deliver his nation a much-awaited ICC trophy.

Recent Form

Australia topped the World Test Championship table with India coming in close second. Australia lost only 3 test matches in the whole tournament, but 2 of those losses were in the most recent Border Gavaskar Trophy which the home side India clinched 2-1. All this indicates a great build-up for the final with both teams in terrific form. However, India will be hurt by the absence of their superstar pacer Jasprit Bumrah and the dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, both of whom are set to miss out the final due to injuries. As for Australia, the only injury scare is of the veteran pacer Josh Hazelwood, who will probably be replaced by the cult hero Scott Boland if he is unable to get fit in time for the final.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

Despite the absence of Rishabh Pant, India’s greater strength in this matchup will be its batting core. Captain Rohit Sharma enjoyed his batting as an opener the last time he played in England, accumulating 368 runs across 4 tests. He will be accompanied by Shubham Gill, who has been grabbing the headlines with his stunning performances in the IPL. The experience of Cheteshwar Pujara, the ever-dependable Virat Kohli, and the return of Ajinkya Rahane will allow India to field a strong batting. On the bowling front, India will miss the services of its best pacer Jasprit Bumrah, but a bowling lineup consisting of the likes of Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Umesh Yadav is too good to be undermined.

As for Australia, they have a balanced team on all fronts. The main concern will be in the openers, considering David Warner’s poor returns in England in the past, where he averaged 9.5 in the 2019 Ashes and Usman Khawaja’s lack of experience in English Conditions. Middle order with likes of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith will have to score the bulk of the runs, followed by in-form Travis Head and Cameron Green. The bowling attack will most likely feature the deadly trio of captain Pat Cummins, left-armer Mitchell Starc and Mr. Consistent Josh Hazlewood, who will be supported by the reliable off-spin of Nathan Lyon.

Playing XI and Expected Results

Though Australia looks like a stronger side on paper, a lot will depend on the toss, ground, and playing conditions. The Oval in London hasn’t been historically a happy hunting ground for either of the teams, but both will fancy their chances on the back of their recent wins on the same ground. In the end, both teams have a lot to play for, and the team that will make the best use of the conditions with the resources at their disposal will take the World Test Championship Trophy home.

The expected playing XI of both teams is as follows.

Australia Probable Playing XI

David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk.), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

India Probable Playing XI

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wk.), R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.