The highly-anticipated World Test Final 2023 between Australia and India is slated to take place at The Oval in London on 7th June, Wednesday. Both teams have had a remarkable journey throughout the 2021-23 championship cycle. Australia will be making their maiden appearance in the WTC Final. P Cummins-led side topped the points in World Test 2021-23, with 66.67 points percent (PCT) in 19 Tests. India, on the other, will be playing in their second consecutive final of the championship. In the last edition, India were runner-up after losing to New Zealand in the final. India finished second in the points table of the World Test 2021-23, with 58.8 PCT in 18 Tests.
Australia and India are often considered one of the greatest rivalries in the history of Test Cricket. Their recent face-off was in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2022-23, where India emerged victorious by winning the series 2-1. The upcoming World Test Final is expected to be exciting as India and Australia will vie for the prestigious title.
Squads
AUS: P Cummins (C), S Boland, A Carey, C Green, M Harris, M Neser, T Head, U Khawaja, M Labuschagne, N Lyon, J Inglis, T Murphy, S Smith, M Starc, D Warner
IND: R Sharma (C), R Ashwin, KS Bharat, S Gill, R Jadeja, V Kohli, I Kishan, C Pujara, A Patel, A Rahane, M Shami, M Siraj, S Thakur, J Unadkat, U Yadav,
Predicted Playing XI
AUS: U Khawaja, D Warner, M Labuschagne, S Smith (VC), T Head, C Green, A Carey (WK), M Starc, P Cummins, N Lyon, T Boland,
IND: R Sharma, S Gill, C Pujara, V Kohli, A Rahane, KS Bharat, R Jadeja, R Ashwin, S Thakur/U Yadav, M Shami, M Siraj
Top Picks for Fantasy Playing XI
- Wicketkeeper: A Carey
- Batters: U Khawaja, S Gill, M Labuschagne, V Kohli, S Smith,
- All-Rounder: R Jadeja
- Bowlers: R Ashwin, P Cummins, N Lyon, M Siraj
The Playing Conditions at The Oval
The weather condition in England is unpredictable as the temperature is expected to be 15-22 degree Celsius and thus, it cannot be said who will dominate the match, batting team or bowling team. However, the pitch at The Oval or Kennington Oval is good for batting. The team that wins the toss is expected to opt for batting first to score good runs in the first innings. The surface will assist the fast bowlers as the match goes on, the pitch begins to change and spinners can turn the sharply, and batsmen may find it harder to score runs. If the weather conditions are good and the skies are clear, batsmen are expected to score runs. If the weather is cloudy, it can help the fast bowlers and make it tougher for batsmen to play. Since the pitch doesn’t have much grass, the surface is expected to favour both batsmen and bowlers. If you are a fan of fantasy cricket, then now is a great time to start your fantasy cricket team.
