A large number of fans and a few former cricketers felt that the Indian’s punishment was unjust and came out in support of Gill, who was equally stunned by the verdict. While Gill and captain Rohit Sharma, who was also batting at the time, did not hesitate to express their frustration, Gill has now gone a step further.

Immediately following the conclusion of play on Day 4, which saw India reach 164/3 in a massive 444-run chase, Gill took to Instagram and Twitter to express his personal opinion on the matter. Gill took a jab at the official and shared a screenshot of Green diving to his left to make a low diving capture.

According to the screenshots shared by Gill, it appears that the Australian grounded the ball before completing the catch, bringing an end to his innings at 18 off 19 deliveries.

The incident occurred at the stroke of tea as Gill attempted to push a delivery by Scott Boland slightly past the off-stump line. However, the ball took an outside edge and traveled between the slip cordon and the gully before Green dived to his left to complete a world-class catch.

After a brief discussion between the umpire and the TV official, the umpire referred the decision to the TV official, who ruled Gill out for lack of supporting evidence.

Also See | Shubman Gill Out or Not Out Fans Erupt Furious

India’s first wicket fell at the controversial score of 41, after which Rohit and Cheteshwar Pujara added more than 50 runs for the second wicket. Rohit was stranded leg-before wicket for 43 while attempting a sweep against Nathan Lyon, and Pujara was caught-behind for 27 while attempting an uppercut against Pat Cummins.

However, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have kept India in the chase by adding 71 runs for the fourth wicket to India’s 164/3 total at the end of the day; they now require an additional 280 runs to win the match.

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After receiving repeated blows, Thakur, who appeared to be in agony, decided to take precautions by wearing a front arm guard over the affected area. However, much to the amusement of Ponting and Karthik, who were present on the commentary panel, Thakur wore the arm-guard on the wrong limb.

Ponting stated on air, “I’ve never seen anything like it,” to which Karthik replied, “Neither have I.”India’s comeback is led by Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur’s crucial half-centuries.

Scott Boland dismissed Srikar Bharat for a pitiful five runs off 15 deliveries in the opening over of Day 3 of the match, giving the Australians an early advantage. Despite the early loss of a wicket, Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur fought valiantly against the Australians and raised an outstanding 109-run partnership to reduce the deficit.

Also See | Hotstar to stream Asia Cup and ODI World Cup for free

Rahane’s magnificent innings concluded after he scored 89 runs off 129 deliveries, which included 11 fours and a single six. During his 109-ball 59-run innings, during which he hit six boundaries, Thakur maintained his composure as well. Impressively, Thakur scored three consecutive fifty-plus scores as a visiting batsman at the Oval, tying for the record for the most by a visitor. This meant he joined an elite list of Australian greats that included Sir Donald Bradman and, accordingly, Allan Border.

Team India ultimately concluded the second innings with 296 runs and trailed by 177 runs. In their pursuit of the coveted mace, the Australians will be eager to amass a large score and make life difficult for the Indian team.

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India got off to a good start on Day 2 thanks to Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, but they soon lost their way as they lost their first five wickets in the second session. India finished the day at 151/5, 318 runs behind Australia. Each of Australia’s five bowlers took a wicket prior to Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja’s fifth-wicket partnership of 71 runs, which gave India hope.

Jadeja was dismissed by Lyon for 48 runs off 51 balls, while Rahane remained unbeaten at stumps with 29 runs off 71 balls and KS Bharat at the other end. While Lyon was dismissing Jadeja, Ganguly questioned India’s decision not to include Ashwin, the top-ranked bowler in the ICC Test rankings.

I would have a difficult time keeping Ashwin out of the playing XI: Sourav Ganguly

“Who says a leg-spinner cannot play on a verdant cricket pitch? Left-handed batsman Ravindra Jadeja and right-handed batter Nathan Lyon. He has taken in excess of 400 wickets in Test cricket. He dismissed India’s finest batter at this time. “The ball had both spin and bounce,” said Ganguly to Star Sports.

Ganguly, 50, acknowledged that India has had success with four pacers, but he stated that it would be challenging for him to leave Ashwin out of the playing XI.

Also See | India have picked the wrong side: Steve Waugh

“This is a mere afterthought. And I have no faith in afterthoughts. As captain, you make a decision prior to the toss, and India’s captain had determined that his team would field four fast bowlers. In spite of this, they have had success with four pacers over the past few years. They’ve won Test matches, but if you ask me… if I were captaining – and every captain is different; Rohit and I think differently – I would find it extremely difficult to leave Ashwin out of the XI,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lyon has taken 483 wickets in 121 Tests, including 117 against India in 27 matches. In contrast, Ashwin has taken 474 wickets in 92 Tests, including 62 wickets in 22 Tests against Australia.

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The average global live audience for the most-anticipated Test cricket championship is around ten lacs. During the recently concluded IPL, JioCinema reached a concurrency apex of 3.21 crore, the highest of any streaming platform ever.

According to a recent announcement, Disney+ Hotstar will no longer charge for forthcoming cricket tournaments such as the Asia Cup and ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. JioCinema’s strategy of preserving sports, including the IPL, free of paywalls has been a tremendous success.

Disney is currently catching up to industry trends as the viewership shifts from linear to digital television. During the recently concluded IPL, digital streaming was far more popular with advertisers than linear television.

Disney+ Hotstar’s decision to offer free sports programming follows the loss of 8.4 million paid subscribers following the loss of the digital rights to the IPL. Thursday’s ET report indicates that the loss of HBO content from Disney+ Hotstar is also affecting its premium subscriber base.

Also See | ‘We’re going to play without fear’ – Ben Stokes

India are in trouble in the WTC Final, trailing Australia by 318 runs at the conclusion of Day 2 while chasing Australia’s mammoth target of 469 runs. Earlier in the game, Steve Smith and Travis Head’s centuries helped propel Pat Cummins and his team to a great total, while their bowlers also performed admirably by sending five Indian batsmen back to the pavilion by the end of Day 2. It remains to be seen whether India will be able to catch up on the third day of the mega match.

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The final of the second edition of the championship, which ran from 2021 to 2023, will be broadcast globally to a potential audience of 700 million people across 100 territories via ICC’s official broadcast licensees, as well as additional coverage on icc.tv to reach a truly global audience.

In India, Star Sports will broadcast the English World Feed and provide coverage in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu. Their digital platform, Disney+ Hotstar, will broadcast live coverage of every game. The DD Sports channel of India’s public broadcaster Doordarshan will also provide live coverage of each day’s action.

The Test will be broadcast live in Australia on Channel 7 and its digital platform 7Plus, with pitch-side studio analysis.

Sky Sports will provide live coverage of the event in the United Kingdom via their Sky Sports Cricket channel, which is also accessible via subscription via the Sky Go app and NOW. Supersport will provide complete coverage of the match on their linear network in Sub-Saharan Africa and via the DSTV app.

Sky Sports will broadcast the match in New Zealand via their linear channels and the Sky Go application. Cricket enthusiasts in the United States and Canada will be able to watch the action on both linear and digital Willow TV platforms.

Fans in the UAE will be able to witness the Test on CricLife on Etisalat and Starzplay, while those in the Caribbean will have access to Sportsmax. ATN in Afghanistan, Gazi TV in Bangladesh, and Maharaja TV in Sri Lanka are additional broadcasters.

ICC.tv, the ICC’s in-house digital platform, will provide global live coverage of the Ultimate Test in all other markets.

BBC Test Match Special will provide live audio coverage direct from the venue to a UK audience, while SEN will broadcast live to Australia and New Zealand. Several additional radio stations will broadcast live, as detailed here.

Non-live coverage is available on the ICC’s Facebook and Instagram channels, which will feature in-play clips and highlights segments from the Indian subcontinent as well as five-minute global highlights.

BBC Sport will also provide coverage in the host nation via short-form in-play and highlight segments.

Production details:

ICC TV will broadcast the WTC Final live with industry-leading production enhancements. There will be a completely produced live match day program with a 30-minute pre-matchday buildup, lunch and tea interval shows, and a post-matchday wrap-up for broadcasters.

The commentary panel for The Ultimate Test will consist of cricket legends Ravi Shastri, Ricky Ponting, Sunil Gavaskar, Matthew Hayden, Nasser Hussain, and Kumar Sangakkara, along with veteran broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Alison Mitchell, Dinesh Karthik, and Justin Langer.

The production services partner Sunset+Vine and the equipment services partner NEP Broadcast Solutions support ICC TV. AE Live will provide the coverage’s on-air graphics.

A minimum of 35 cameras will be used to provide cutting-edge coverage to the audience. Numerous analytic and graphical enhancements will be added to the coverage.Hawk-Eye will also provide an extensive selection of DRS services, such as ball tracking and edge detection. Cricviz will provide in-depth cricket data analytics to supplement the graphics system.

Batcam’s drone camera will provide breathtaking views of the venue and its environs. In addition, a Batcam vehicle cam will provide a roving ground-level perspective, whereas Spidercam will provide an aerial perspective of the performance.

Also See | We don’t think about what has happened in past in the ICC tournaments: Rohit Sharma

Field 360°, a virtual field model powered by an AI-enabled live player tracking engine, will be used to emphasize fielding positions and strategies. It will be provided by Quidich Innovation Labs under the creative direction of ICC TV.

Additionally, ICC TV will generate a variety of additional content that will be distributed to its media rights partners via the ICC TV content delivery service. This content will feature player profiles, team features, match previews, venue features, and other behind-the-scenes content, bringing viewers closer to all of The Ultimate Test’s action.

ICC Digital:

The tournament has a dedicated website, worldtestchampionship.com, which will provide supporters with all exclusive content related to the event.In addition to match clips, daily highlights (in Hindi), and behind-the-scenes player content, dedicated mobile applications for iOS and Android will also feature vertical videos.

Through the VR ShotTracker experience, users can view a 360-degree replay of every six plays exclusively on the app. To enhance the spectator experience, custom in-stadium activations such as live polling and quizzes will be implemented.

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India must also make a difficult decision between Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shardul Thakur in order to finalize their eleven for the upcoming match.

Former Australian cricketer Aaron Finch believes that selecting Ashwin over Jadeja will be advantageous for Australia, as the off-spinner will create turbulence that Nathan Lyon can exploit in the final days of the match. Mitchell Starc, a left-arm bowler, will also aid Lyon with his footmarks.

“If they choose Ashwin, it will assist him, whereas Jadeja’s bowling in the middle of the pitch is unlikely to make as much of a difference. So, possibly a modest advantage [for Australia in the WTC final], but possibly just,” Finch stated on Star Sports.

Finch added that the wicket at The Oval can dry up and spin at the close of the game, and that he would bat first if the surface appeared to be in good condition.

“The Oval pitch can become flat on days three and four, but it can dry out and spin in the latter stages of the game.” I believe I will bat first if the surface appears acceptable. Therefore, I do not believe it should be overly complicated. I’m confident that neither Pat Cummins nor Rohit Sharma overcomplicate things.

Also See | KS Bharat reveals MS Dhoni’s advice ahead of WTC 2023 Final

India hopes to maintain its Test dominance over Australia.

Notably, it will be India’s second consecutive final appearance in the WTC after losing the inaugural edition to New Zealand by eight wickets. Australia, on the other hand, will compete in their first final after finishing third in the first cycle of 2019-21. Therefore, both teams will be eager to win the coveted trophy in the championship match.

India has the upper hand against Australia, having won the four most recent series between the two teams. Due to the fact that India’s key players, such as Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant, are injured, Australia will enter the match as heavy favorites.

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Recently, while speaking to the ICC, the Indian wicketkeeper KS Bharat made an intriguing revelation. Bharat revealed that the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman and former India captain MS Dhoni had provided him with some helpful advice prior to the crucial WTC Final match against Australia. The 29-year-old stated that he spoke with Dhoni during the Indian Premier League (IPL) and learnt how to adapt to English conditions and what wicketkeepers would find most effective in these conditions.

The Indian wicketkeeper disclosed to ICC, “It was a very good conversation and I gained a lot of insights from it.”The wicketkeeper-batsman also identified Dhoni as one of the finest wicketkeepers in these difficult conditions due to his awareness and praised the strategies he employs while keeping.

“Being a keeper requires intent and passion, as it is a thankless task. You keep 90 overs in a Test day and must concentrate ball by ball, so you must take the challenges, embrace them, and be incredibly enthusiastic about contributing to the team,” Bharat explained.

The squad selection of Bharat will be a crucial decision.

The 29-year-old has only played in four Tests for India, all of which were contested against Australia in India earlier this year. In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, Bharat’s batsmanship was subpar, but his glovework earned him a starting spot.

Also See | AUS vs IND Weather Report for WTC Final

The other wicketkeeper option for the Indian team is Ishan Kishan, who arrived in England after a solid IPL campaign. Kishan has never represented India in the longest format of the game, so if he receives a call-up, he would make his debut in the championship game. The ability of the 24-year-old batter to win matches could convince India to initiate him in the WTC Final.

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Notably, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli are currently in superb form, and Ajinkya Rahane will make his long-awaited return to the Indian team. In recent years, the captain has performed well in Test cricket and has a remarkable record in England. The other opening batsman, Shubman Gill, had a phenomenal IPL and would like to continue in the same vein.

In the meantime, the problem resides with the sixth batter. In Rishabh Pant’s absence, KS Bharat was given the opportunity to distinguish himself, but the 29-year-old has failed to make a significant impact in the four Test matches he has played to date. Former players Ricky Ponting and Mohammad Kaif have supported wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan for the championship match, so he remains an intriguing option.

Also See | It will suit India if they play two spinners in WTC final : Monty Panesar

Australia’s bowling unit has not played enough matches recently and will therefore be fresh for the upcoming WTC final, which is scheduled to commence on June 7. Marnus Labuschagne, who recently played five matches for Glamorgan in Division Two of the County Championship and scored 502 runs, is currently in excellent form. David Warner has also shown signs of improvement in the field.

Here is the Weather Report for WTC Final

The first two days in London will be sunny, making it optimal to bat first if you win the toss. There is a likelihood of rain on the evening of Day 3, which could affect the playing conditions on Day 4. There is also a probability of precipitation on the backup day. Meanwhile, since the first two days will be sunny, the ball may begin to turn on day three.

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Notably, Australia and India will compete for the coveted mace at the Oval in London beginning on June 7th. The Australian leg-spinner further acknowledged what team India will bring to the table and that the crucial Test will feature two world-class bowling assaults going head-to-head.

“I think it’s wonderful. I have been – I won’t say critical – but I believe the series should consist of at least three Test matches. Two years of excellent cricket are followed by a neutral venue match against the opposition. Warner was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying, “We’ve all played here before, but this game is against a different [host] nation.”

“This is an excellent reward for the top two organizations. Two world-class bowling attacks bowling on foreign soil with a Dukes ball. That’s fantastic, and we’re thrilled about it. During the past 18 to 24 months, we’ve played some outstanding cricket. We are aware of India’s contributions to the table. It’s a wonderful neutral venue with two world-class bowling attacks using a Dukes ball, and I can’t wait to get out there as a batter,” he added.

Also See | Shubman Gill will struggle in English conditions: Greg Chappel

Australia will compete in their first WTC summit match and will be eager to claim their first championship after failing to win the inaugural cycle in 2019-21. India, the runner-up of the previous edition, will also seek to end its ICC trophy drought.

The Australians have begun preparations in earnest as they have prioritized winning the prestigious mace as their top objective. After the conclusion of the WTC Final, Australia will focus on retaining the Ashes against their bitter rivals, England.

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