The World Test Championship 2023 final will be played in June. India has already taken a step closer to the WTC Final 2023 with a resounding victory in the 2nd test match of BGT 2023. India played the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship in 2021 which they lost to New Zealand. So, if India plays the final of the upcoming World Test Championship, will they manage to win it? Well, we think yes because of certain reasons that we are going to discuss in this blog. Let us begin then!
India and New Zealand played the final of the first edition of the world test championship for the cycle 2019-21 where New Zealand defeated India by 8 wickets on the reserve day. However, this time, it seems India will face Australia in the final of the WTC 2023. If this happens, India will stand a fair chance of winning the test championship and breaking their ICC trophy drought which is in its 10th year.
Given below are the pointers that would bode well for India if they reach the final of the World Test Championship 2023.
The Kennington Oval Pitch
The WTC 2023 final will be played at the iconic Kennington Oval in London. Historically, the Oval pitch has been supportive of the batters for the first 3 days. Also, the Oval pitch is a bit drier compared to the rest of the English grounds. This is an advantageous scenario for team India. A dry surface would mean the ball would get scuffed up and will assist in the reverse swing. India has a string of pacers like Shami, Umesh and Siraj (Bumrah if he is fit) that can take advantage of the old ball.
Much Settled Top Order
The last time India played in the final of the WTC, it was a fidgety top-order that hurt them. KL Rahul then was enjoying the form of his life but an untimely injury ruled him out of the final. India had to open with Shubman Gill, who was relatively new at international test cricket. He could not help provide India with the desired starts, especially in the 2nd innings. Pujara was also not at his best during the final. However, this time around, India’s top order looks a bit more solid. Rohit Sharma is among the runs and so is Cheteshwar Pujara. The only debate would be whether Shubman Gill or KL Rahul would open the innings with Rohit.
Spin to Win
As mentioned above, the Kennington Oval ground in London has historically offered dry surfaces. The Indian spinners can exploit the conditions to their benefit. Last time, India played 2 spinners in conditions where an extra seamer could have been beneficial. However, if the conditions at the Oval remain as usual then India’s spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja can be more than handy. India also has the cushion of an extra spinner in the form of Axar Patel should either of the two aforementioned not make it to the playing XI.