WTC Final 2023: India opts to bowl against Australia

India have left out the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, Ravichandran Ashwin, and have decided to bowl first in the World Test Championship Final against Australia.

India and Australia will compete for the greatest prize in Test cricket as the two face off in the second World Test Championship Final. The five-day one-off Test match has a reserve day in place in case rain intervenes the match just like it did the last time when India played New Zealand in 2021 at Southampton.

Virat Kohli and Co were defeated by the Kane Williamson-led New Zealand side by four wickets in the final. In the current Test Championship cycle, India qualified for the final following wins in all three home series at home – including against Australia – and another in Bangladesh. The runner ups from the 2021 final were at the receiving end of a 2-1 series defeat in South Africa and a 2-2 draw in England. Australia at the other hand beat England, West Indies and South Africa at home and registered another win during the Test series in Pakistan apart from a 1-1 result on their tour of Sri Lanka.

Playing XIs

India XI: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma (c), Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav

Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland