We are just one night away from the final of the World Test Championship cycle. In what promises to be an absorbing five days ahead in the World Test Championship final, it ought to be reminded that both India and Australia have both arrived here as a result of their efforts over the last couple of years. Players like Shubman Gill, Marnus Labuschagne, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, and Steve Smith are enjoying their best phases, so this one-off Test will be all about class.
Ensuring that this much-awaited contest serves nothing but the integrity of Test cricket, bowlers, whether Mohammad Shami or Mitchell Starc will be swinging the ball and piercing the batters to provide a sufficient contest to the bat with regards to the menace of the red ball.
Following the previous tour, the rivalries between the batters and bowlers have grown more intense. So, let’s look at a few one-on-one battles that are likely to make the World Test Championship final worth everyone’s while and shall, without a doubt, make the game a bit more interesting:
Virat Kohli vs Pat Cummins
The fans of Virat Kohli are pretty happy and confident, looking at his touch in the last nine to ten months. The person who had to wait nearly three years for an international century was able to score five in no time. And now he is facing Australia, his preferred foe.
The Australian team’s captain, Pat Cummins, has successfully irritated Virat on numerous occasions. His average of roughly 16 is the lowest against any Australian bowler that Kohli has faced. Given that Kohli appears to be playing better than ever and that Cummins has dismissed him five times in Test cricket, let’s see who gets the better of the other.
Cheteshwar Pujara vs Nathan Lyon
Cheteshwar Pujara is one of the most important weapons for the Indian Test team. He may not be the Indian team’s wall, but he certainly is skilled at surviving those body blows. Pujara has the ability to stay long in the middle and the fact that he loves to score against the Aussies will be an icing on the cake in this final.
Well, who doesn’t enjoy scoring against the Australian team?
But there is one man who, using only his fingers, can make the batters dance. It is none other than Nathan Lyon. In particular, he has a stellar record not only against Pujara but the other Indian batters as well. Even though this is the most competitive battle of all as Pujara has scored over 550 runs against him. And on the other hand, Lyon has dismissed him 13 times, which is the second highest after Broad’s 14 against Warner.
David Warner vs Ravichandran Ashwin
The left-hander and Ashwin’s off-break are nothing more than some captivating love story. And David Warner seems to have played the lead role in it. After playing against Pakistan, the left-hander will retire from the longest format of the game, he has already announced. This makes this final even more important to him, but only Ravi Ashwin has the ability to stop him.
In test cricket, Ash has dismissed Warner eleven times. The player who once scored 300 runs in an inning has had trouble scoring runs in Test matches lately. In their final meeting, Ashwin will have the upper hand and be trying to get him for the one last time, while Warner will be eyeing a big score.
Steve Smith vs Ravindra Jadeja
We always love watching Smith bat. Don’t we? His cheeky expressions in Test cricket are all a fan could ask for. But what makes him throw these faces? Well, a bowler like Jadeja would definitely work.
The most significant player for the Indian team was able to trouble Smudge, which is what causes those weird and funny expressions. He has been dismissed seven times by Jadeja, three of which happened recently. Jadeja, who has eleven wickets in just two games at the Oval, is not far behind Smith, who has impressive records on this surface. This will ensure a battle of full potential and hunger.
With these rivalries playing each other on neutral ground, the World Test Championship final is going to be an incredible one. In the end, all we really want is a thrilling match that lasts five days and has an identifiable result.
