Ashish Ranjan
Wednesday, the ICC confirmed the final date for the second edition of the ICC WTC Final.The summit clash will be played from 7 to 11 June at The Oval, London, with a reserve day in place (12 June). By defeating India by eight wickets in Southampton in 2021, New Zealand won the maiden edition of the competition.
Australia tops the current cycle’s points table with a points percentage of 75.56, followed by India with 58.93. The Border-Gavaskar trophy series is due to begin on Thursday, with the outcome of the series playing a significant role in determining this year’s Oval finalist.
According to the official website of the International Cricket Council, Australia’s skipper Pat Cummins stated that participating in the WTC final has been a major motivator for the team over the years.
Cummins stated that the prospect of playing in the World Test Championship Final has been a major incentive for the team over the past several years, especially after missing out on over rates last time.
Mark your calendars 🗓
The dates for the ICC World Test Championship Final later this year have been revealed 🤩#WTC23https://t.co/gOJcoWVc58
— ICC (@ICC) February 8, 2023
“Playing at a neutral location such as The Oval provides a new dimension to the Final for both teams. It is thrilling and has been a long-term objective of ours. After a very successful year, we are optimistic that we can establish a position while in India. The Final would be an excellent reward for the talented players and staff.”
Rohit Sharma, the captain of India, stated that taking the team out for the final would be an honour and that he is eager to qualify for the championship match.
“It would be an honour to lead Team India into the field for the World Test Championship Final. We have matured and improved as a team during this campaign, and we know that to have a chance of winning the Mace at the Oval in June, we must first defeat a formidable Australia squad.”
There have been plenty dramatic moments in recent Test cricket, and there will definitely be more. Sharma stated, “I am excited at the thought of securing our spot in the Final and, possibly, making history later in the year.”
Third-place Sri Lanka (53.33%) and fourth-place South Africa (48.72%) also have a chance of reaching the Oval final. Sri Lanka have two remaining away Tests against New Zealand, while South Africa will play a two-match home series against the West Indies.
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HOW CAN INDIA QUALIFY FOR ICC WTC Final?
This is the question everyone is asking prior to the Border-Gavaskar trophy match. When it comes to the WTC finals, the Indian team will be aiming to make it two wins in a row and will be vying for the mace this time.
Australia has essentially secured their berth in the summit match, so Rohit Sharma and his team have their work cut out for them.
If India wins a single match out of four, the PCT will be 51.39. It will increase to 56.9 if they win two games and 62.5 if they win three or more. If South Africa wins the home series against West Indies, they could earn a maximum of 55.50 points.Therefore, India must win the series with a score of 2-0 to secure a ticket in the ICC WTC final.
