The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) is a tournament that aims to add context and excitement to the longest format of the game. It features nine teams competing in a league format over a two-year cycle, with the top two teams qualifying for the final. The second edition of the WTC started in 2021 and will conclude in 2023 with the final at The Oval, London from June 7 to 11.
The final will be a historic occasion for both the teams and the fans, as it will crown the best online poker uk Test team in the world.
The winners will take home a purse of 800,000. The final will also have a reserve day (June 12) to make up for any loss of play on the scheduled five days.
The Finalists: India and Australia
The two teams that have made it to the final are India and Australia, who have been the most consistent and dominant sides in the WTC cycle. They have both won six out of their eight series, with India having a slight edge in terms of points percentage (58.93) over Australia (75.56).
India and Australia have also faced each other twice in this cycle, with each team winning one series at home. India won the four-match series in Australia in 2020-21 by 2-1, while Australia won the four-match series in India in 2022-23 by 3-1. Both series were closely fought and had some memorable moments and performances.
India’s captain Rohit Sharma has been their leading run-scorer in this cycle, with 1,234 runs at an average of 51.41, including four centuries and five fifties.He has also led the team with flair and aggression, taking over from Virat Kohli who stepped down after the first series against Australia in 2020-21.
Australia’s captain Pat Cummins has been their leading wicket-taker in this cycle, with 69 wickets at an average of 19.94, including six five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket match. He has also been a handy lower-order batsman, scoring 492 runs at an average of 24.60, including three fifties.
Both teams have a balanced and experienced squad for the final, with some exciting young talents as well. Here are the squads for both teams:
Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Josh Inglis, Todd Murphy, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, best online poker uk David Warner.
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, KS Bharat, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, best online poker uk Ishan Kishan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Axar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadakt Umesh Yadav.
The Venue: The Oval
The Oval is one of the oldest and most iconic cricket grounds in the world.It has hosted many memorable Test matches over the years, including the first ever Test match in England in 1880 and the famous Ashes Test of 1882 that gave rise to the legend of the urn.
The Oval has also been a happy hunting ground for best online poker uk both India and Australia in Tests.
