India and Australia will meet for a one-off test match in The Oval as a part of concluding the current edition of the ICC World Test Championship. The match will begin on June 07, 2023, at 3:00 pm IST. Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins are leading the respective sides, with India making the second appearance in the final test match.
The previous conclusion saw India lose to New Zealand while Australia stayed out of the top two lists. There is surely a lot of potential on the Indian side, and Aussies will look out for it. However, there is a wide range of talks that can be done on this. Therefore, here is a precise article to better understand where both teams stand at the moment.
Team India
Ajinkya Rhane is back on the team, and Shubham Gill just had a fantastic run throughout the Indian Premier League. As a matter of fact, Gill is credited with finishing the league at the top of the list for Orange Cap. His total runs stand at 890 for Gujarat Titans.
Sharma is likely to play the first ball against the Aussies, giving Shubham a chance to then take the game forward. Working for the Indian side is Kohli regaining his supremacy. The King has so far scored 8,000+ runs in the test format, with the highest score being 254 unbeaten. Rohit Sharma is not far behind and has 3,300+ runs to his name.
As for Shubham Gill, the Prince has played 28 innings to register two centuries and one half-century for a total of 890 runs. Gill will carry forward his IPL momentum in the ICC WTC Final starting June 07.
Team Australia
David Warner has plans in line to retire from the test format. This is one of the reasons why Aussies are charged up to take the title home. A lot of rides on how their bowling unit performs. Strength comes from the skipper himself and is complemented by Mitchell Starc. Speaking volumes about his record is a list of 306 wickets across 147 innings.
The experienced left-arm fast bowler haunts with a thrilling record of 16-four wickets and 13-five wickets in his career so far.
Pat Cummins has a lot of test cricket left in him. Yet, he rides high on the record of 217 wickets in 90 innings. The Aussie skipper has been able to maintain an economy of 2.73. Meaning it will again be tough to bring a good score in The Oval.
India vs. Australia Head-to-Head
India and Australia share a competitive past in the sport. Cricket is the mainstream field in both countries, with no doubt that fans support their sides irrespective of the venue.
The head-to-head stat tilts toward Australia. They have met 106 times in test format, and Australia has had more success than India. Rohit goes by the statistics during the game, but the numbers of wins and losses barely touch his mind. This is going to come in handy since India has 32 wins in comparison to 44 by Australia. Some of the top cricket betting sites have assumed Australia to win purely based on these numbers.
Forty-Four events have ended in draws, while one event was tied between India and Australia. A neutral venue will give them a chance to showcase why they are the best and deserve to win the title. Overall, one can expect the contest to be between the Indian batting line and the Australian bowling line-up. Cheteshwar Pujara’s experience must compensate for Rishabh Pant’s absence for India to win.
Key Factors
Experts have taken a dig, calling the pitch to be best for spinners and seamers alike. There is a possibility that batters can make a sudden move if the unpredictable weather conditions work in their favor. If not, bowlers will take a huge jump for a constant wicket-taking pace.
June marks the warmest month in the UK, with an average temperature of 29.5 degrees Celsius. The warmness could bring dryness to the pitch and help spinners more. Seamers will gain the advantage if the ball does not have moisture over it.
Rohit and Pat will lead the sides strategically. The goal will be to make sure that players are able to adapt to the changing weather conditions at The Oval. If it really turns out to be a balling pitch, then the match will be a slower one with the struggle for every run. Expect a slip to have a permanent residence.
Conclusion
Fans are looking forward to the ICC World Test Championship final between India and Australia. Needless to say, everyone is supporting their respective country. For all the right reasons, one can say. Some of the best cricket betting sites predict Australia to win the title. They are definitely underestimating the power of being in the moment and letting it drive the game with determination.
India versus Australia in ICC WTC 2023 at The Oval will be an event to look out for. The competitive meet stands a chance to end in a draw. Following this, both will be declared joint winners of the test championship.
