Soon it will arrive: not just the second Test of the English summer, but the second edition of the World Test Championship final. As Australia and India prepare to play off in London, the match’s place and placement remain strange. It is new enough that people are not sure of its significance, and the supposed pinnacle of a two-year contest takes place only days before the next edition begins with an Ashes series that for many is more anticipated.
For Australia’s team the final is two things. First, reward for a solid two years of qualifying that saw only three losses out of 19, headed by a hard-fought series win across 15 days in Pakistan, as well as a home Ashes thrashing, a shared result in Sri Lanka, and a visit to India that became more credible as it went on. Second, it is essentially a free hit, a first swing at a title that Australia has never contested and has no blueprint on how to approach.
Things are different for India, having lost the first WTC final in 2021 to a disciplined New Zealand. India’s irritation over that miss has persisted, and losing two in a row would inflate that to a higher level of grievance, given a team that has performed so strongly in the format for the last five years, and an administration whose financial dominance on the global scale is yet to translate in terms of silverware. Interest within India will no doubt be intense.
Australia’s approach is predictable: barring late disaster, the top seven is inked in as David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green and Alex Carey. Nathan Lyon is the spinner, Pat Cummins the fast-bowling captain, and Mitchell Starc’s speed could be key on an Oval pitch that tends to flatness, after the error in leaving him out of the fifth Ashes Test there in 2019.
The final pace spot is the only question. Josh Hazlewood has been removed from the extended squad to be conservative about his recovery from another side complaint. Michael Neser is replacing him but Scott Boland was already likely to be preferred in the playing XI to Hazlewood. A conditions-based call on Neser’s swing v Boland’s seam could eventuate, but Boland’s contributions across the qualifying period will also likely work in his favour.
India’s plans are less clear. Rohit Sharma will captain and open the batting with the younger Shubman Gill after his gorgeous hundred against Australia in Ahmedabad the last time they met. Virat Kohli ended his Test ton drought in the same match, and will bat at four. Cheteshwar Pujara holds on to his spot at three after a recent mountain of runs for Sussex in county cricket, and Ajinkya Rahane has been recalled at five to complete the bloc of veterans.
After that, anything is possible. KS Bharat is the option if India want the more qualified wicketkeeper, or Ishan Kishan if they want the gloves worn by a batting dasher in the mould of Rishabh Pant. Depending which keeper is picked, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will probably bat six or seven, fresh off his match-winning runs in the IPL final.
He may be the sole slow bowler, or may be joined at eight by champion off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Axar Patel is the third option, and was key in the recent series win over Australia, but with his lower-order runs rather than his bowling. Being left-arm orthodox like Jadeja doesn’t help his chances.
If only one spinner plays, the swing-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur will come back into the side, a wrecking-ball kind of player who smashes into contests with bat and ball. Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami will lead the pace attack. The final specialist quick’s spot is between Umesh Yadav, with a wealth of international experience, and Jaydev Unadkat, with very little but a long domestic career. But you can’t rule out India playing Thakur in that spot instead alongside two spinners.
Two spinners at The Oval is a common configuration, but the ground might play differently to usual given it has never hosted a Test in June. Traditionally the venue for the summer’s end, its matches usually come in August or September after months of sun have made for a rougher surface. This time there has been little chance for warm weather in the lead-up. Reverse swing is another Oval staple that might be affected, potentially nullifying one of Umesh’s key weapons.
Ultimately it will be about which of the two visiting teams can most consistently adjust to the conditions and the Dukes ball, whether using it or facing it. This is part of the challenge of a neutral venue, and all part of the fun as well. If allowed to continue, the WTC final’s meaning can only grow with time. People may not be sure of its place yet, but Test cricket is better for having it.
