Another engrossing day of Test cricket in the World Test Championship sees Australia firmly in the driver’s seat with India struggling to stay in the game, having already lost five wickets and trailing by 318 runs in the first innings.
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Australia vs India WTC Final 2023: Day 3 scorecard
IND 1st Innings: 271/8 after 66 overs
IND Batting
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Rohit Sharma (C) lbw b Cummins | 15 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 57.69 |
| Shubman Gill b Boland | 13 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 86.67 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara b Green | 14 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 56.00 |
| Virat Kohli c Smith b Starc | 14 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 45.16 |
| Ajinkya Rahane c Green b Cummins | 89 | 129 | 11 | 1 | 68.99 |
| Ravindra Jadeja c Smith b Lyon | 48 | 51 | 7 | 1 | 94.12 |
| Srikar Bharat (WK) b Boland | 5 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Shardul Thakur | 40 | 100 | 4 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Umesh Yadav b Cummins | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Mohammed Shami | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 00.00 |
AUS Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | No Balls | Wides | Economy |
| Mitchell Starc | 13 | 0 | 69 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.30 |
| Pat Cummins | 19 | 2 | 73 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3.84 |
| Scott Boland | 19 | 5 | 48 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.53 |
| Cameron Green | 11 | 1 | 42 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.80 |
| Nathan Lyon | 4 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.80 |
AUS 1st Innings: 469 all out after 121.3 overs
AUS Batting
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| David Warner c Bharat b Thakur | 43 | 60 | 8 | 0 | 71.67 |
| Usman Khawaja c Bharat b Siraj | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Marnus Labuschagne b Shami | 26 | 62 | 3 | 0 | 41.94 |
| Steve Smith b Thakur | 121 | 268 | 19 | 0 | 45.15 |
| Travis Head c Bharat b Siraj | 163 | 174 | 25 | 1 | 93.68 |
| Cameron Green c Gill b Shami | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 85.71 |
| Alex Carey (WK) lbw b Jadeja | 48 | 69 | 7 | 1 | 69.57 |
| Mitchell Starc run out (sub) Patel | 5 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Pat Cummins (C) c Rahane b Siraj | 9 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 26.47 |
| Nathan Lyon b Siraj | 9 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 36.00 |
| Scott Boland not out | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14.29 |
IND Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | No Balls | Wides | Economy |
| Mohammed Shami | 29 | 4 | 122 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4.21 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 28.3 | 4 | 108 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3.79 |
| Umesh Yadav | 23 | 5 | 77 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.35 |
| Shardul Thakur | 23 | 4 | 83 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3.61 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 18 | 0 | 56 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.11 |
Australia vs India WTC Final 2023: Day 3 live updates
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13:38- Wicket! Cummins responds well to conceding a boundary by clean bowling Umesh and sending him back after a short innings
13:19- Wicket! What a catch from Green off Cummins’ delivery to finally dismiss the rampant Rahane. The Indian batsman has done his bit but may be disappointed he couldn’t do more.
13:11- Session 2 commences. 260/6 for India after 60 overs.
12:35- End of Session 1 Day 3. 260/6 in the second innings. We shall be back at 13:10
When Boland dismissed Bharat immediately at the beginning of the day, it seemed like things would continue in the manner they did yesterday for India. However, Rahane and Shardul have powered through Australia’s bowlers to put up a formidable partnership and keep India in this game. The former in particular has carried his side’s attack hard and never seemed to have lost hope even when things were looking dismal. His experience and calmness have helped his side cross the 250 mark and cut down their deficit. Shardul has been the perfect supporting act bracing many tough deliveries and getting some important boundaries to take some pressure off his partner’s shoulder.
Australia will be disappointed in the manner the first session has gone so far. They have dropped both Rahane and Shardul at crucial moments of the game, and could very well regret having done so at the end of this innings. Boland has been their main threat and they will hope to bring in him after the lunch break to put an end to this partnership. However, the rest of the bowlers need to step up, with skipper Cummins, in particular, needing to cut down on his no balls, which has seen him again lose a wicket today after seemingly having dismissed Shardul. They haven’t quite won it yet.
12:06- Small break in the innings as Rahane has his fingers looked at, they must have gone under a lot of duress with the batsman having to carry India’s attack through both days.
11:33– Drinks break commences, although Rahane and Shardul would want to keep their momentum going, with the senior batsman showing why he made it back into India’s squad after more than a year.
11:15- 50 up for Rahane! And what a way to get it with the first six of the game, he is going to have to be a one-man army for India today if they are to get anything from this game.
10:51– Yet another stop in play as again Shardul is caught by surprise by Cummins’ delivery and it seems his forearm is hurt.
10:48– Play stopped as Shardul is hit by the extra bounce from Cummins.
10:32- Wicket! Boland strikes again and clean bowls Bharat! More trouble for India as the wicketkeeper goes back to the stands early on.
10:21– Pitch report– A perfect day in South-East London. It’s going to be warmer than yesterday with 0% chance of rain. With the sun baking, this pitch will deteriorate further which is good news for Australia. The cracks are going straight down the pitch and that brings in variable bounce, there are some divots as well. It’s going to spin off the pitch as well, it will get drier, it’s hard underneath and will continue to help the spinners as well, reckon Nasser Hussain and Dinesh Karthik.
10:00– Welcome back to TSN’s coverage of the WTC Final. India is in trouble with most of their top and middle order having been sent back to the pavilion by the Australian bowlers before they could even cross the 200-run mark. Rahane and Bharat would need to play the innings of their life to give India some hope and perhaps avoid having to play a follow-on. All the odds are in Australia’s favour, but we have seen crazy things happen before in this wonderful sport.
Here are the Day 2 highlights:
Click here to watch Day 2 highlights (Viewable from all countries)
Australia vs India WTC Final 2023: Day 2 live updates
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Australia vs India WTC Final 2023: Day 2 scorecard
AUS 1st Innings: 469 all out after 121.3 overs
AUS Batting
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| David Warner c Bharat b Thakur | 43 | 60 | 8 | 0 | 71.67 |
| Usman Khawaja c Bharat b Siraj | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Marnus Labuschagne b Shami | 26 | 62 | 3 | 0 | 41.94 |
| Steve Smith b Thakur | 121 | 268 | 19 | 0 | 45.15 |
| Travis Head c Bharat b Siraj | 163 | 174 | 25 | 1 | 93.68 |
| Cameron Green c Gill b Shami | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 85.71 |
| Alex Carey (WK) lbw b Jadeja | 48 | 69 | 7 | 1 | 69.57 |
| Mitchell Starc run out (sub) Patel | 5 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Pat Cummins (C) c Rahane b Siraj | 9 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 26.47 |
| Nathan Lyon b Siraj | 9 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 36.00 |
| Scott Boland not out | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14.29 |
IND Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | No Balls | Wides | Economy |
| Mohammed Shami | 29 | 4 | 122 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4.21 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 28.3 | 4 | 108 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3.79 |
| Umesh Yadav | 23 | 5 | 77 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.35 |
| Shardul Thakur | 23 | 4 | 83 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3.61 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 18 | 0 | 56 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.11 |
IND 1st Innings: 151/5 after 38 overs
IND Batting
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Rohit Sharma (C) lbw b Cummins | 15 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 57.69 |
| Shubman Gill b Boland | 13 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 86.67 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara b Green | 14 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 56.00 |
| Virat Kohli c Smith b Starc | 14 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 45.16 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 29 | 71 | 4 | 0 | 40.85 |
| Ravindra Jadeja c Smith b Lyon | 48 | 51 | 7 | 1 | 94.12 |
| Srikar Bharat (WK) | 5 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 35.71 |
AUS Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | No Balls | Wides | Economy |
| Mitchell Starc | 9 | 0 | 52 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.78 |
| Pat Cummins | 9 | 2 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 |
| Scott Boland | 11 | 4 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.64 |
| Cameron Green | 7 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.14 |
| Nathan Lyon | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
6:03- STUMPS, DAY 2: IND 151-5 (38)
Another day that belongs to the Aussies. India have lost half the side in reply to Australia’s 469 and face the prospect of being asked to follow-on in the 2nd innings. Although India did really with the ball in the first half of Day 2, picking up 7 wickets and conceding 108 runs.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill added 30 runs for the opening wicket and looked in good touch, but Pat Cummins and Scott Boland sent the openers back to the pavilion to give Australia the ideal start. Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara didn’t last long either, scoring 14 runs each. Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja resurrected India’s innings to some extent, stitching a 71-run stand, before Nathan Lyon got the better of Jadeja with a ball that spun a lot.
India are in grave danger and the first hour of in the morning tomorrow, on Day 3, might very well decide if India stay in this game or succumb to the sheer authoritative display that the Aussies have come up with in the first two days of this enthralling WTC Final.
We will back with you tomorrow with all the updates and live coverage on Day 3. Stay tuned and have a good night!
5:42- WICKET! THE OMINOUS RAVINDRA JADEJA DEPARTS!!! Nathan Lyon gets one to spin vigorously and Jadeja pokes at it, only to edge it straight to Steve Smith at first slip. The 71-run partnership between Rahane and Jadeja breaks and India are in danger now.
4:13- WICKET! STARC GETS THE WICKET OF KOHLI!!! India are in tatters at the moment as Starc generates extra bounce off the pitch and the balls just caresses the gloves of Virat Kohli and it’s an easy catch for Steve Smith at second slip.
3:47- WICKET! Cameron Green strikes and dismisses Cheteshwar Pujara, who looked in good touch out there. It’s another player who leaves the ball but leaves the stumps exposed as well. The ball zaps inwards and brings the end of Pujara’s innings.
3:30- Session 3 commences. India 37/2 after 10 overs
3:10- End of Session 2. Tea break commences. We will be back in 20 mins.
What a good session of Test cricket that was. India head into the break with their backs pinned against the wall having lost both their openers. The responsibility to rebuild the innings has now fallen on the shoulders of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli. The Indians are on the backfoot and will need to finish Day 2 on a strong note if they are to remain in this game. We will see you in 20 mins for the final session of Day 2.
2:54- WICKET! One brings two for the Aussies and it’s the in-form Shubman Gill who has been dismissed. It’s a huge, huge wicket for the Aussies. That was a peach of a delivery by Scott Boland who gets it to seam inwards. Gill miscalculated it and left the ball, but the ball goes and hits the knock the bails off the top of off stump.
7:20- WICKET! Australia get the breakthrough! Rohit Sharma departs after playing across the line as Pat Cummins gets one to nip back in. That was as plumb as any and the Indian skipper decides not to review it. He was looking good in the middle, but Australia have now got the early wicket they were looking for.
2:20- India’s 1st Innings commences. Rohit Sharma on strike against Mitchell Starc.
2:10- INNINGS BREAK: AUS 469 all out
Although Australia will be the happier of the two teams going into the break, India did really well to dismiss Australia for a score of below 500. Mind you, the Kangaroos were running away with the game and were 361-3 at one stage with both Travis Head and Steve Smith looking unstoppable.
However, the Indians didn’t give up and bowled tightly to pick wickets at regular intervals. How will India respond? Will the pitch assists Aussie bowlers or will India give a befitting reply with their batting? Let’s find out on the other side of the innings break.
2:08- WICKET! That’s wraps it up. A straightforward catch for Ajinkya Rahane as Aussie skipper Pat Cummins loses his wicket. Siraj gets his fourth and Australia will be very happy with their effort.
2:00- WICKET! YOU MISS AND I HIT! That’s the 50th Test wicket for Siraj, who rattles Nathan Lyon’s stumps. India just one wicket away from wrapping up the innings.
1:41- WICKET! Alex Carey falls just two runs short of a well-deserved fifty. The left-handed attempted the reverse sweep off Jadeja but the ball didn’t turn much. India sent it for a review after the umpire didn’t raise his finger, and it’s three reds. Australia lose an important wicket but Carey has done his job.
1:15- Session 2 commences. Australia 422/7
12:34- End of Session 1. Lunch break commences. We will be back in 40 minutes.
The first session of the day comes to an end when Australia have managed to score 95 runs in 24 overs for the loss of four wickets. Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami got rid of Travis Head and Cameron Green in quick succession while Shardul Thakur struck with Smith’s wicket.
It has been a fruitful session for the Indians where they managed to finally break the Head-Smith partnership and pick up four important wickets. They will now hope to bowl out Australia quickly.
11:41- WICKET! Steve Smith departs. Shardul Thakur picks up the all-important wicket. Unable to judge Thakur’s delivery, Smith gets bowled. Big wicket for India!
11:18- WICKET! Another Australian departs as Mohammed Shami dismisses Cameron Green for just 6 runs. The all-rounder tried to drive an outside off-stump delivery but fails to connect properly and edges towards second slip where Shubman Gill takes a comfortable catch.
11:00- WICKET! Finally, India gets the breakthrough as Mohammed Siraj dismisses Travis Head. The Aussie southpaw departs for 163 runs off 174 after being caught behind by Srikar Bharath of Siraj’s delivery.
The Indian fast bowler gets his reward for bowling short to Head.
10:32- CENTURY! Steve Smith scores his 31st Test hundred! The former Australian skipper hit back-to-back boundaries off Mohammed Siraj’s first over of the day to achieve the milestone.
This is Smith’s seventh hundred in England and ninth against India. Only Sir Donald Bradman has more centuries (11) than Smith now in the UK.
10:14- Day 2 Pitch report
The pitch on Day 1 had a lot of grass and the Indian seam bowlers initially got some swing. The pitch is expected to be the same on day 2 but the Indian pacers are likely to get some seam and bounce with the new ball.
After Day 1 of the World Test Championship Final between Australia and India at the Kia Oval in London, it is the Aussies who are firmly in the driver’s test.
Rohit Sharma, quite understandably, put Australia in to bat under overcast conditions after winning the toss. But after a few initial wobbles, the conditions turned brighter as the day went on and so did Australia’s fortunes.
MORE: Bet here in India on the World Test Championship Final
Despite being 76/3 at one point, Travis Head (146*) brilliant counter-attacking knock and Steve Smith’s unbeaten 95 ensured Australia finished at a mighty comfortable 327/3. The Kangaroos are already eyeing a significant first-innings score that might put India in a huge spot of bother.
India need to make early inroads on Day 2 or risk themselves being batted out of the game.
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Australia vs India WTC Final 2023: Day 1 scorecard
AUS 1st Innings: 327/3 after 85 overs
AUS Batting
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| David Warner (c Bharat b Thakur) | 43 | 60 | 8 | 0 | 71.67 |
| Usman Khawaja (c Bharat b Siraj) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Marnus Labuschagne (b Shami) | 26 | 62 | 3 | 0 | 41.94 |
| Steve Smith | 95 | 227 | 14 | 0 | 41.85 |
| Travis Head | 146 | 156 | 22 | 1 | 93.59 |
IND Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | No Balls | Wides | Economy |
| Mohammed Shami | 20 | 3 | 77 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3.85 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 19 | 4 | 67 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3.53 |
| Umesh Yadav | 14 | 4 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.93 |
| Shardul Thakur | 18 | 1 | 75 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4.17 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 14 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.43 |
MORE: Pitch report and Test records for The Oval
Australia vs India WTC Final 2023: Day 1 Highlights
Click here for Day 1 highlights (Viewable from India with subscription)
Click here to watch Smith and Head counter-attack India in the second session (Viewable from all countries).
Australia vs India WTC Final 2023: Day 1 live updates
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Join us on Thursday for Day 2 updates.
6:02- STUMPS, DAY 1: AUS 327-3 (85)
Australia couldn’t have asked for a better start to this Test match. And let’s not forget that they lost the toss and were reduced to 76-3 after one point. Mohammed Siraj dismissed Usman Khawaja in the fourth over of the day, while Shardul Thakur dismissed David Warner just as he was starting to look lethal. Then, right after the Lunch Break, Mohammed Shami produced an out of this world delivery to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne.
However, after that point, it was all Australia as they outmuscled India, thanks to an unbeaten 251-run stand between Travis Head and Steve Smith. Head raced to his 6th Test century, while Smith will be hoping to bring up another century tomorrow morning.
India will be questioning their choice to drop Ravichandran Ashwin, with neither Umesh Yadav nor Shardul Thakur being effective. Although they have taken the new ball, they couldn’t get any breakthrough today. Can the Indian bowling lineup bounce back and control the damage? Or will the Aussies run away with the game?
4:33- 100 FOR TRAVIS HEAD!!! This has been an emphatic knock by the left-hander, coming in to play when his team was in a precarious situation at 76-3. But he has showcased his outrageous skill-set by taking the game away from India and putting Australia in a comfortable position heading into Day 2. It’s his 6th Test hundred and the first one away from home.
4:19- SMITH BRINGS UP HIS 38TH TEST FIFTY!!! This has been a gritty knock from the Aussie and it also brings up 150 runs in the partnership between him and Head. Australia firmly in control and India desperately need a couple of wickets
3:31- Session 3 commences. Australia in the driver’s seat at 170-3.
3:11- End of Session 2. Tea break commences. We will be back in 20 mins.
After losing Marnus Labuschagne immediately to a Mohammed Shami corker, India were in the driver’s seat, having reduced Australia to 76-3. But in came Travis Head, who attacked the bowlers right from the word go and shifted momentum in his side’s favour. He got his half-century and now looks set for a big score.
On the other end, Steve Smith has played the perfect foil to Head’s aggressive approach. He has scored 33 runs and taken 102 deliveries, defending and blocking everything coming his way and being extremely selective with his shot selection. Shardul Thakur looked good initially but has since leaked runs at a high rate. Ravindra Jadeja’s introduction has somewhat put the brakes on, but Smith and Head are well set and have stitched a 94-run stand for the fourth wicket.
2:48- 50 for Travis Head! The southpaw has looked in pristine touch and have taken the attack to the Indian bowlers, racing to his 14th Test fifty in just 60 balls. He’s looking dangerous in the middle.
2:13- The drinks are on the field now. After losing Labuschagne to an absolute jaffa by Shami, Travis Head has come out all guns blazing, scoring at a strike rate of 114.29. The Smith-Head duo have added 49 runs for the fourth wicket and India quickly need a wicket.
1:17- What a delivery by Shami, he bowls Labuschagne clean and sends him back to the pavilion. The Australian batsman overcame many LBW reviews but couldn’t survive the Indian bowler’s fantastic delivery, and leaves with a knock of 26 (62)
1:10- Session 2 commences. 73/2 so far.
12:30- End of Session 1. Lunch break commences. We will be back in 40 minutes.
Sharma will be happy so far with his decision to bowl first with Siraj dismissing Usman for a duck and Shami along with Thakur containing the Australian batting lineup for the most part of this first session. Thakur particularly came through when he took the wicket of Warner who seemed to be building up towards a big total and was growing increasingly more confident as the overs went by. Umesh didn’t have the best of starts with Warner targetting him, but he has made a good comeback to recover his economy rate before the end of the session.
Australia will hope to have a good start after the lunch break. Warner was carrying their attack for most of this session and his dismal has slowed them down once more. Usman will be particularly disappointed with his showing today but it is to be expected since he hasn’t played any form of cricket for nearly two months. The Aussies still do have Smith and Labuschagne on the pitch, with both batters having the potential to attack India’s impressive bowling lineup and build up on the foundation Warner left for them. We’ll be with you here tomorrow for all the live coverage.
12:24- Warner is dismissed by Thakur! Once again Bharat takes the catch to send the Aussie batsman packing after a knock of 43 runs in 60 balls.
11:08– Stoppage in play as Labuschagne is hit on his thumb by Siraj’s delivery with the extra bounce catching him by surprise.
11:02- Usman is caught out by Bharat off a Siraj delivery, he walks back on a duck.
10:14- “It is tough to leave Ashwin out. He has been a match-winner for us, it is not a great occasion to leave him out, but you have got to do what is best for the team in the given conditions,” says Rohit on dropping India’s lead test-wicket taker.
10:08- Ashwin dropped by India, here’s their lineup:
IND: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
10:03- India win the toss. Choose to bowl first.
9:59- Pitch Report from Kumar Sangakkara: “It’s cold, there’s a bit of wind and it’s overcast. There’ll be swing. There’s a lovely green covering of grass, so there’ll be seam as well. You’ll have very good bounce here.”
9:46- Welcome to TSN’s coverage of the WTC Final. An excellent display by both sides awaits us and both sides will be hoping to end the first day with momentum on their side. Australia have already announced their playing 11, here’s how they lineup:
AUS: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
Who will win the WTC Final if it ends in a draw?
Which team will be crowned the World Test Championship winners if this game ends in a draw or a tie?
Will it go to the No.1 ranked team or the team that qualified for the final first? Read this piece to find out.
Will India play four seamers? Will Ashwin miss out?
Australia have already named their XI for the WTC Final, pretty much everything on expected lines. The question now is whether India will play four seamers or just three.
Rohit Sharma has indicated that he feels the conditions will suit pace bowling more and it seems like India might play four seamers in Shami, Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur. If that is the case, it might be R Ashwin who misses out on this game, with Jadeja set to claim the lone spinner’s spot.
Clear skies predicted for opening day of WTC Final
At this stage, the weather gods look to be on the side of Australia and India, with clear skies predicted for The Oval on the opening day’s play.
Temperatures are set to rise up to 22 degrees during the day in London, with no rainfall expected.
Australia confirm WTC Final team
Australian skipper Pat Cummins have confirmed his final XI for the World Test Championship final, with cult hero Scott Boland earning the final place in the bowling attack.
Following the decision to withdraw Josh Hazlewood due to a niggling Achilles issue, the 34-year-old Victorian got the nod over Queensland all-rounder Michael Neser to partner Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.
David Warner has retained his spot at the top of the order alongside Usman Khawaja, while rising star Cameron Green slots into the middle-order alongside Travis Head.
Australia XI vs India: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
India’s shot at redemption?
India had a great chance of winning the WTC mace last time out in 2021 where they played New Zealand in the final. But they shockingly lost a game which seemed to be heading for a tame draw.
This time around, they have a chance to make amends under a new leader in Rohit Sharma. but the Aussies will be keen on some revenge after losing in alien conditions in the subconitnent earlier this year.
Will the Men in Blue redeem themselves?
Last chance saloon for big names in India and Australia
The 2023 WTC Final might well be the last chance of several stalwarts to win Test cricket’s ultimate crown.
The likes of Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc are all over 33 as are R Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma on the opposite camp.
Will this be the final shot at WTC glory for these players?
Match Preview:
India and Australia faced off in a four-match series in India earlier this year, which was won by the home team 2-1. In fact, India have beaten Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy four times in a row.
Regardless of the fate of the Border-Gavaskar battles in the recent past, it is Australia who go into the clash at The Oval as slight favourites.
The conditions in England should suit Australia’s pace-bowling attack despite the fact that Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the match.
More importantly, India’s spinners won’t be able to dominate the Australian batters like they did back in India. And India also have injury troubles, with Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul all missing out.
Not to mention the fact that Australia’s key batsmen, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, have already acclimatised to the English conditions by playing the County Championship.
However, only a fool will write India off. Despite the fact most of the Indian team are coming into the red-ball cricket after a furiously-fast IPL season, they will be a force to be reckoned with. Especially, Virat Kohli who has been in a purple patch of late and seems to be brimming with confidence.
These two teams never disappoint when it comes to Test cricket and this should be no different. A Test classic might be in the offing.
WTC Final 2023: Australia vs India tips, predictions and betting odds
| AUS win |
IND win |
Draw | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dafabet (India) |
1.95 | 2.72 | 5.60 |
| Ladbrokes (Australia) |
1.80 | 2.88 | 5.50 |
WTC Final 2023: Australia vs India TV, telecast details
In India
Australia vs India will be broadcast in several languages, across the following TV channels in India:
- Star Sports 1
- Star Sports 1 Hindi
- Star Sports 3
- Star Sports Select 1
- Star Sports Select 1 HD
- Star Sports HD1
In Australia
The WTC Final will be broadcast in Australia through free-to-air Channel Seven.
In the UK
Sky Sports Cricket will telecast the WTC Final live in the UK.
WTC Final 2023: Australia vs India live stream, mobile, online details
In India
Live streaming of this game will be provided on a subscription basis, exclusively through the Disney+ Hotstar app across a range of platforms in India.
In Australia
Live streaming of the WTC Final in Australia will be through 7Plus.
In the UK
SkyGo and Now will provide live streaming of the WTC Final in the UK.