ICC World Test Championship 2023: Australia vs India – WTC Final Preview and Updates

Cricket

Following a grueling season in the Indian Premier League, Team India’s players are gearing up for the much-anticipated World Test Championship 2023 (WTC) final against Australia. Mark your calendars for June 7, when The Oval in London will host the final match of the WTC 2021-2023 cycle, with Rohit Sharma’s team taking on Pat Cummins’ Australia. India has been fantastic in Test cricket recently, defeating Australia 2-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in March of this year. Getting past this strong Australian team in a neutral venue, on the other hand, will be a real challenge.

The ICC World Test Championship 2023 Final between Australia vs India will take place on June 7th, 2023 at Kennington Oval, London.

Match Details to Note

Match: Australia vs India, Final, ICC World Test Championship 2023

Date: June 07, 2023 (Wednesday)

Time: 3:00 PM IST

Venue: Kennington Oval, London

Australia vs India

Australia (Match Odds – 1.65):

Preview:

Australia is making its first appearance in the WTC finals. They advanced to the final after finishing first in the WTC 2021-23 cycle points table with a 66.67 point percentage (PCT) in 19 matches. For the past 18 months, they have been a dominant force in red-ball cricket, going undefeated at home. They demonstrated unwavering resolve, resilience, and a commendable display of patience even during arduous away tours in Sri Lanka and India. In Josh Hazlewood’s absence, the remarkably consistent Scott Boland will take his place.

Full Squad:

Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matt Renshaw, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

Players to watch out for:

Usman Khawaja

Since returning to Australia’s Test team for the 2021-22 Ashes, the left-handed opener has been in superb form. In the most recent Test against India, he scored 180 runs.

Steve Smith

The right-handed number four batter has been playing County cricket and is familiar with English conditions ahead of this Test.

Pat Cummins

The pace bowler and captain missed the final Tests in India earlier this year, but he has a strong record in England and will benefit from the pitch.

Possible Playing XI:

David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

India (Match Odds – 2.25):

Preview:

India, led by Rohit Sharma, is preparing for their second World Cup final after a 2-1 win over Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Prior to that, they cruised to a 2-0 victory over Bangladesh in a two-match series.

Despite the absence of many of their regulars, India remains a formidable opponent.

Full Squad:

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Srikar Bharat, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jaydev Unadkat, Umesh Yadav, Ishan Kishan

Players to watch out for:

Shubman Gill

The stylish right-handed opener was the leading run-scorer in the 2023 IPL. He has two centuries in his last four Tests.

Virat Kohli

The former captain has been in superb form in all formats over the last six months. He has a 48.93 average over 183 tests.

Mohammed Shami

The right-arm pace bowler finished as the 2023 IPL’s top wicket taker, with plenty of movement from a good length. In this Test, he will enjoy bowling at the Oval.

Possible Playing XI:

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wk), Shardul Thakur/ Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav/Jaydev Unadkat

Australia vs India Batsmen Worth Watching

Our batting selections for Australia are Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, and David Warner. Warner has 25 Test centuries and has announced his intention to retire from the format at the start of next year. Khawaja’s batting average in 105 Test innings is 47.81.

Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and Rohit Sharma are our batting picks for Australia. In his last Test at The Oval, Sharma scored 127 in the second innings. Gill hit 128 in his last Test against Australia, with 12 fours and one six.

Australia vs India Bowlers Worth Watching

Our bowling selections for Australia are Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, and Mitchell Starc. Starc bowls with genuine pace and has 306 wickets in Test cricket, including 13 five-wicket hauls. Lyon will get some turn as the game progresses, and he bowled well against India’s batters earlier this year in the Test series.

For India, we recommend Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj with the ball. Siraj impressed on the most recent England tour and was also in excellent form during the 2023 IPL. Jadeja bowled out Steve Smith in the previous Test against Australia and will get some spin at The Oval.

Australia vs India Head to Head

This will be Australia’s 107th Test match against India. The last match between the teams was drawn in March 2023, with Australia winning the previous match by 9 wickets.

Australia vs India Head to Head Stats in Tests

	Matches Played	AUS Won	IND Won	Tie	NR
Overall	106	44	32	1	29
Last 5	5	1	3	0	1

Australia vs India Toss Prediction

The Kennington Oval is usually advantageous to the team batting first. The team batting first has won 53% of the 15 Tests played here. With the weather expected to be clear and sunny for the first three days of the match, expect the team that wins the toss to bat first.

Australia vs India Pitch Report

The average first-inning total at the Kennington Oval is 345, and the average second-inning total is 279. India’s highest total here is 664 against England in 2007. The team batting first must attempt to score at least 380-400 runs.

The pitch at Kennington Oval is a level playing surface with a lot of bounce. Spinners are expected to exert control over the old ball, while quick bowlers are expected to generate movement. For the first three days, the Kennington Oval pitch has historically been excellent for batting. The surface’s dry texture allows for increased bounce and carry, allowing the ball to scuff up and generate the desired reverse swing.

The weather in London is expected to be sunny and partly cloudy for the first three days of the Test. On the fourth day, there may be a few afternoon showers, but the final day will be warm with clouds and sun.

Australia vs India Prediction

In Tests, Australia has a 44-32 record against India. They have, however, lost the last four Test series against them. Australia has a very strong and balanced team. Their fast bowlers are likely to cause havoc for the Indian batters, who have not been in the best of form recently. Furthermore, their lineup features three exceptional and in-form batters in Khawaja, Smith, and Labuschagne, who will pose a formidable challenge to opponents.

For India to win this match, their bowlers must perform admirably and prevent the Australian batters from scoring big. Given the recent challenges that India’s top and middle order have faced, it is unlikely that they will put in a strong performance. While their lower order has frequently rescued them in recent years, it may not happen this time against this dangerous fast bowling attack. That alone gives Australia the upper hand in this final. Check out the odds at Cricbaba!

Australia is the favourite to beat India at the odds of 1.65.