With just a few hours to go for the ultimate Test match, India and Australia are prepared to lock horns in the 2021-23 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final at The Oval in London starting Wednesday. While India are playing in the grand finale for the second straight occasion, Australia have made it to the stage for the first time. Nevertheless, given the stature of the two sides, there is no outright favourite to win this meeting, as indeed a tough match is on the cards.
Given that the game will be played at a neutral venue, it is still not unfamiliar territory for the two sides, having played in England on numerous instances, especially the latter, which has a rich history in the country. Also, given the seaming conditions in the United Kingdom (UK), with the Aussies specialising in seam attack, they could slightly have the upper hand.
Nevertheless, the Indians cannot be ruled out either, especially how their seamers troubled the Australians Down Under in the last two experiences. Also, despite India struggling in England historically, its recent performance in the nation has surely been impressive, making it a formidable force for the Kangaroos to tackle with.
In the meantime, it makes sense to take a look at the head-on clashes between the two units, which have met on 106 occurrences. Given Australia being a hard force initially, it’s a no-brainer that it holds the advantage over India 44-32. While a contest between the two was tied, 29 ended in a draw. Also, considering that the Indians have won the last four Test series against the Aussies, the current form certainly gives the former an upper hand.
Now, taking a look at the approaching milestones in the WTC finals, these numbers are worth noting ahead of the fixture:
69 – Ajinkya Rahane is just 69 runs away from scoring his 5,000th run in the format, which would make him the 13th Indian to enter the club.
154 – Although a seamer primarily, Starc has a chance to attain a special feat as a batter, as he is 154 runs away from becoming the 60th Australian batter to enter the 2,000-Test-run club.
1 – Rahane will also have his eyes set on a record as a fielder, as he is just a grasp away from becoming the seventh Indian to claim 100 catches in the longest form of the game.
59 – Cameron Green is hunting for 59 more runs that would make him the 109th Aussie batter to enter the 1,000-Test-run club.
2 – Starc also has his eyes set on a feat as a bowler, as a couple of more hauls would hand him his 600th wicket in international cricket.
1 – Australian skipper Pat Cummins needs a Test appearance to play 50 fixtures in the format.
21 – Virat Kohli is someone who will always be in the fray of attaining milestones in any tie. Here, he is 21 runs away from scoring 2,000 runs versus Australia in the format.
4 – Pacer Cummins also needs four more victims to bag his 400th wicket across formats in international cricket.
3 – Indian seamer Mohammed Siraj will be eyeing at least three scalps to join the 50-wicket club in the longest format.
3 – Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will have to struggle to make an impact with his spins at a seam-friendly track at The Oval. However, three more wickets would see him grabbing 700 wickets across formats.
1 – David Warner is also a grasp away from claiming his 200th catch across formats.
9 – Kohli will be eyeing another feat with the bat, as nine more fours would see him hitting 950 of them in Test cricket.
110 – Indian opener Shubman Gill’s prolific form makes him a man to watch out for, while he would also have a record in his sights, as 110 runs more would see him score his 1,000th run in the format.
1 – Just like Cummins, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is also a Test appearance away from playing his 50th encounter in the format.
6 – Starc will also be in the fray for a third milestone in this meeting, as six more victims would allow him to claim his 50th wicket against the side in the longest form.
4 – On the same lines, even Cummins is four wickets away from bagging his 50th wicket against the Indians in Tests.
3 – Green is expected to strike at least three fours, which would put him on the list of batters slamming 100 Test fours.
