Ashish Ranjan
The 2023 World Test Championship final between India and Australia will take place on June 7 at The Oval in London. The match will be the summit contest of the tournament. Before the big event, both teams are finalizing their preparations and searching for the optimal team combination.
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.
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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.
