WTC Final, IND vs AUS: Splash of tricolour at The Oval as fans gear up for historic clash - WATCH
Team India will aim to break their decade-long ICC trophy jinx when they square off a formidable Australian unit in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at The Oval staring on Wednesday. Asianet News's Krishna Kishore, who is at the iconic venue, brings you the latest.
FollowThe stage is set for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final between a formidable Indian team and a raring Australian side at The Oval, starting on Wednesday, and Indian fans at the Oval are set for the historic Test match that will be played at the prestigious venue without England participating for the first time.
At the iconic Oval ground, Indian fans were seen flocking in for the ultimate Test clash of the titans. Supporters of the Indian side were spotted waving the tricolour as they cheered for the team that hope to register their third win at the venue. India has played 14 tests at the Oval, winning 2, losing 5 and drawing 7 games. Their most cherished moment at the venue came in 2021 with a 157-run victory over England.
Rohit Sharma and Co. will need a healthy mix of talent and temperament when they square off against Pat Cummins-led side to break the decade-long ICC trophy jinx. India has been the most reliable team throughout the last two WTC cycles, and they have also been to the final stages of significant white-ball competitions over the past ten years, although they have yet to win a trophy.
India last took home a significant ICC trophy in 2013, when it won the Champions Trophy in England. Since then, the team has suffered three final defeats and four semifinal defeats. The 2021 T20 World Cup preliminary round was another exit for the Men in Blue.Â
The legacy of a team is determined by its ability to win major championships, but Rahul Dravid, the head coach of India, remains confident in his squad regardless of the result of the final at The Oval.
"In the context of things, you look at this and you see this is the culmination of two years of work. It's a culmination of a lot of success that gets you here," said Dravid ahead of the title clash.
"Winning the series in Australia, drawing series here, being very competitive everywhere that this team has played in the world over the last five or six years. I think those are things that will never change just because you have or you don't have an ICC trophy," he said.
India's predicted playing XI
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin/Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat/Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj
Australia's predicted playing XI
David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
