WTC final (2021-23): Here's all you need to know
India and Australia are set to lock horns in the 2021-23 ICC World Test Championship final at The Oval from June 7. The Indians were the runners-up of the 2021 edition, having lost the final to New Zealand. Besides, Australia will play their maiden WTC final after finishing as the table-toppers. Here is all you need to know about the grand finale.
Key details about the schedule
As mentioned, the WTC final will be held from June 7 to June 11. Like the previous edition, a reserve day is kept on June 12 to make up for any loss of playing time due to bad weather during the five designated days. During the 2019-21 WTC final, the first day completely washed out. The game then went into the reserve day.
The Oval to host the final
The Oval in London, also known as Kennington Oval, will host the WTC final. The first venue to host Test cricket in England has seen several momentous matches. As per ESPNcricinfo, the iconic Lord's Stadium had some sponsorship issues to stage the final. Notably, the inaugural WTC final was played at the Rose Bowl in Southampton in 2021 in a bio-secure bubble.
Earliest Test of the English summer at the Oval
This is the first time an international will be held at The Oval in June. The previous-earliest Test here was during the English summer started on July 8 in 1982 when England hosted India. The match ended in a draw.
Australia's squad for WTC final
Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Marsh, and Matt Renshaw.
India's squad for WTC final
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, KS Bharat, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Axar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadakt, Umesh Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, and Suryakumar Yadav.
Road to the 2021-23 WTC final
India started their WTC campaign in England where they managed a 2-2 draw. They later defeated New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and ultimately Australia to qualify for the final. India finished with a point percentage of 58.80 and took the second spot (127 points). Meanwhile, Australia defeated England, Pakistan, and South Africa to top the points table with 66.67 points percentage (152 points).
WTC winners will receive $1.6 million
As per the ICC, the WTC winners will receive $1.6 million, while runners-up will take home $800,000 in prize money. The nine participating teams in the 2021-23 cycle will share a total purse of $3.8 million. It is important to note there are no changes in the prize money for the current cycle compared to the inaugural edition.
The iconic Test mace at stake
Besides the whopping prize money, the WTC winners' glory will be adorned with the coveted Test mace. According to the ICC, if the WTC final gets drawn, tied, or abandoned, Australia and India will be declared joint winners.
Pitch, conditions, and streaming details
At The Oval, if the conditions are cloudy, pacers can inflict some damage with the new Dukes ball. As far as the weather forecast is concerned, the first three days and the fifth day are expected to be sunny. However, Day 4 can witness passing showers of rain. Star Sports will telecast the match live, while fans can live-stream it on Disney+Hotstar.
