WTC final: 3 Australian players who could pose a major threat to India
India will take on Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final 2023 at the Kennington Oval in London from June 7 to 11. Players from both teams are gearing up for the mega battle with intense training sessions.
The two finalists met in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India earlier this year, with the hosts clinching the series by a 2-1 margin. The result also confirmed Rohit Sharma and Co.'s berth in the WTC final. However, the result is likely to have little bearing when the teams clash at the Oval.
Given that the conditions in England suit Australia’s style of play more than India’s, Pat Cummins' team is being considered favorites to win the WTC final. However, Team India will be confident of putting up a good show, considering their recent success against Australia in Test cricket.
India, however, will have to be wary of a few match-winners from the opposition camp, who can snatch the WTC final away with their individual brilliance in the one-off Test.
Here’s a look at three Australian players who could pose a major threat to India in The Oval encounter.
#1 Steve Smith
If Australia would be mindful of Virat Kohli, the same is the case for India with Steve Smith. The Aussie run machine enjoys an incredible record against India. In 18 Tests against one of his favorite opponents, Smith has notched up 1887 runs, including eight hundreds, at an average of 65.06. The former Australian captain has registered a Test best of 192 against India.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that India seems to bring the best out of Smith. He amassed 769 runs at a humungous average of 128.16 during the home series in 2014.
Smith also notched up three hundreds in India during the 2016-17 tour, averaging 71.28. The recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy was a one-off failure as he managed only 145 runs at an average of 29.
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Apart from his impressive record against India, Smith’s excellent Test stats in England will also give him the confidence of performing well in the WTC final.
The 34-year-old has featured in 16 Tests in England, scoring 1727 runs at a stupendous average of 59.55, with six tons.
#2 Nathan Lyon
Seasoned Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon is another player who will be raring to resume his battle against Indian batters.
While Shane Warne was undoubtedly the No. 1 spinner to represent Australia across formats, when it comes to Tests, Lyon deserves to occupy the second spot after the spin wizard.
The 35-year-old has come up with a number of game-changing performances against India over the years. In 26 Tests against the Indians, he has claimed 116 wickets at an average of 32.40, with as many as nine five-wicket hauls.
Even when not picking up wickets, Lyon has rarely allowed Indian batters to breathe freely, maintaining a tight line and length on most occasions.
Lyon claimed 23 scalps in the four-match Test series at home in 2014-15 and followed it up with 19 wickets during the tour of India in 2016-17. The offie impressed again with 21 wickets in four Tests during the 2018-19 series at home.
The hard-working bowler had a rare poor series when he managed to pick up only nine victims in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, which the hosts lost by a 1-2 margin.
However, Lyon roared again with 22 scalps in the series in India earlier this year, which included a superb spell of 8/64 in Indore.
#3 Mitchell Starc
On his day, Australian left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc can destroy the best of batting line-ups.
Of course, there are days when he looks rather pedestrian, which is why critics have fallen short of labeling him as great for the time being. Having said that, Starc could deal a major blow to India’s hopes of ending their WTC title drought if he gets his act right.
Rather surprisingly, the 33-year-old does not have a good record against India in Test matches. In 17 games, he has managed only 44 wickets at an average of 38.68.
He does not even have a five-wicket haul to his credit against India in Tests. Starc’s best of 4/53 came in Adelaide in December 2020 - the same match in which India were bowled out for 36 in their second innings.
With Josh Hazlewood being ruled out, Starc would have the additional responsibility to deliver in the WTC final against India. He will also have a point to prove with regard to his not-so-impressive Test record against India. That will make him a rather dangerous proposition for Rohit and Co.