It will be a clash of the Titans as India takes on Australia in the World Championship Final at the Oval on June 7. The fans have set have set their eyes on how both the teams play with Virat Kohli being the star attraction at the match. Virat is on the verge of breaking many ICC records in the upcoming WTC final on Wednesday. Virat has always performed well against Australia.

Records that Kohli might break during the match are

Most runs by a player in ICC tournament knockout matches

Virat has scored 620 runs in ICC tournament Knockout matches at an average of 51.66. He has scored six fifties in the knockout matches with the best score of 96*. In case he scores big, he will move ahead of legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting to become the king of Knockout matches.

Most test runs against a bowler- A massive score by Virat will take him ahead of Superstars like Cheteshwar Pujara (570 runs against Nathan Lyon), Steve Smith (520 runs against Stuart Broad), and Kumar Sangakkara (531 runs against Saeed Ajmal)

Most international runs by an Indian batsman in England-

Virat has scored 2574 runs tailing behind Sachin Tendulkar who scored 2626 runs, and Rahul Dravid, who has scored the maximum 2645 runs. Virat needs 72 runs to reach the top position.

In Tests, Virat needs 21 runs to reach 2000 runs against test cricket in Australia. He needs to score 55 runs to reach the 5000 run mark in international cricket against Australia.

Virat will move to the third position in the maximum ICC Knockout matches played moving ahead of Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. In case Virat scores a century Virat will become the Indian player with the second-highest test centuries against Australia (9).

Virat has scored 75 international hundreds. If he hits the 76th century against Australia in the WTC final, he will reach this position in 555 innings moving ahead of Sachin Tendulkar (587 innings).     

The Pakistan Cricket Board and the Sri Lankan Cricket Board are not on the best of terms at the moment. The PCB is not happy with the Sri Lankan board for offering to host the Asia Cup and has refused to play a one-day international series in Sri Lanka.  

Pakistan will tour Sri Lanka in July to play two Tests of the next ICC World Test championship. Apparently, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board had suggested that Pakistan play a few one-day international matches as they were positive the Sri Lankan team will book a spot for the ODI World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe. Hence, they would need more exposure before the event in October.

The PCB had initially said that they would consider the offer but refused it later. This sends a clear message that the PCB is not happy with the Sri Lankan Cricket Board’s proposal to host the Asia Cup as it was Pakistan’s turn to host the regional event.

PCB chief Najam Sethi was also upset with the response from the boards of Bangladesh and Afghanistan as well over the Asia Cup issue. Sethi had expected that Sri Lankan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan boards would convince the BCCI to go with the hybrid model as proposed by PCB.

The PCB chief did not refute media reports that the BCCI has rejected Sethi’s hybrid model and wants the tournament to be held in Sri Lanka. The bone of contention in the controversy is the Indian board is unlikely to send its team to play in Pakistan, though it has not formally announced the same, it has been making gestures to that effect.

A senior BCCI official said that there is absolutely no chance that Pakistan could hold the Asia Cup. The BCCI would like it if the ICC Champion’s Trophy is also moved out of Pakistan. According to reports, Sri Lanka was likely to hold the event. But the final decision will be made at the ACC meeting.

With strong relations between the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket, the BCCI wants the event to happen in Sri Lanka. At the next ACC meeting, the PCB chief will be conveyed the message.

By Naveen Singh

The World Test Championship (WTC) is the ultimate battle of cricket’s traditional format, Test cricket. Launched on August 1, 2019, the championship aims to showcase the best version of Test cricket, which has faced declining interest and relevance in recent times.

The inaugural edition of the WTC lasted for two years, from 2019 to 2021, and saw nine Test-playing nations compete in a series of bilateral Test series. The championship was won by New Zealand, which defeated India in the finals held at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, England.

The second edition of the WTC started in 2021 and now the 2023 World Test Championship final will be played between India and Australia at the iconic Kia Oval Ground in London, England.

India and Australia are considered as two of the strongest cricket teams in the world and their clashes on the field is something that is always highly anticipated.

Australia is currently second in the test rankings, while India holds the first position. The India Vs Australia WTC Final will also be a chance for some of the world’s best cricketers to flaunt their skills.

Apart from current Indian team captain Rohit Sharma, former captain Virat Kohli, Australia’s captain Pat Cummins and his predecessor Steve Smith, looking at the recent performances Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill and David Warner are expected to be the key players in the finals for their respective teams.

One of the key factors in the success of both teams will depend on their ability to adapt to the conditions of England. However, both teams have proven their ability to win in challenging conditions so far and now it will be interesting to see how they perform against each other.

Overall, India vs Australia World Test Championship Final promises to be a thrilling encounter between two of the most talented and competitive cricket teams in the world. The fans can expect to witness some epic battles on the field as each team seeks to prove its dominance and win the final of the World Test Championship 2023.