The much-anticipated finale of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 is just on the horizon, featuring a clash between India and Australia. This epic showdown is set to commence on June 7 at The Oval in London. In the WTC 2021-23 cycle, Australia has dominated the rankings, establishing itself as the leading team. They have secured their spot in the final with an impressive 66.67 points percentage (PCT) from 19 matches. India closely follows in second place with a 58.8 points percentage (PCT) from 18 matches.
For India, this significant occasion marks their second appearance in the WTC final, led by the experienced Rohit Sharma. On the other hand, Australia, captained by Pat Cummins, is venturing into their first final in the Test championship. Earlier this year, these two formidable teams engaged in a thrilling four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, where India emerged victorious with a remarkable 2-1 win on their home ground. This triumph sealed their spot in the WTC final, setting the stage for another exhilarating encounter against Australia.
During the match days at Kennington Oval, London, the weather forecast predicts partly cloudy skies with a temperature of around 24°C. The humidity is expected to range between 50-60%, accompanied by a wind speed of 19 km/h. Fortunately, there is a low probability of only a 10% chance of rain occurring throughout the match. The Kennington Oval pitch for Test matches offers an exciting blend of pace, bounce, and carry, creating an engaging battle between batsmen and bowlers. Initially, the pitch favours fast bowlers, allowing them to extract movement both off the surface and in the air. As the match progresses, the pitch settles down, becoming more batting-friendly. It provides the consistent bounce, enabling batsmen to play their shots with confidence, while also rewarding their skilful shot selection and well-timed strokes.
Who will hold the mace at the end of the #WTC23 Final?
The captains had their say https://t.co/lHLFzv4AF4 pic.twitter.com/Tum9LcXYJJ
— ICC (@ICC) June 6, 2023
AUS vs IND: Probable XIs
Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland
India: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma (c), Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wk), Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
AUS vs IND, ICC WTC Final Dream11
Wicket-keepers: Alex Carey
Batters: Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli (VC), Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Cameron Green
Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj (C), Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins
