Opinion
The ICC World Test Championship 2023 final saw Australia conquer India at The Oval in London. From start to finish, Pat Cummins and his men showed their class with bat and ball to complete a comprehensive 209-run victory.
Here are five key takeaways from the #WTC23 final.
Coming in under pressure at 3-76 on Day 1, South Australian Travis Head showed why he is such an integral part of Australia’s middle-order with a devastating 163 off 174 balls. Head’s maturity as a Test batsman has shone through during this World Test Championship cycle and his match-winning performance epitomised his importance to this Australian men’s side.
Australia’s counter-attacking batsman struck 25 boundaries during his 285-run partnership with Steve Smith. Ironically, Head started the #WTC23 cycle with a sensational hundred against England during the opening test of the 2021-22 Ashes series.
According to Indian captain Rohit Sharma, Head is now Australia’s greatest threat heading into the 2023 Ashes.
Travis Head bats during day three. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Josh Hazlewood may not be picked in the opening test of the 2023 Ashes, but not because of his form or fitness. Scott Boland’s impressive display in the #WTC23 final has given the selectors a headache leading into Edgbaston.
When the match was there to be won on Day 5, it was Boland’s breakthroughs that changed the course of the final.
Dismissing Kohli and Jadeja in the space of three balls, Boland’s selection in the final was vindicated after the Victorian was chosen ahead of Michael Neser as the third paceman in the Australian team. Now leading into the Ashes, it will be very tough for the selectors to leave Scotty out of the team.
Playing four fast-bowlers was always going to be a risk for the Indians. Rohit Sharma won the toss on Day 1, but that was about it. His decision to play Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur at the expense of Ravichandran Ashwin was a big call.
As the No.1 ranked ICC Men’s Test Bowler, Ashwin was denied the opportunity to bowl to a number of Australian left-handed batsman including the eventual man of the match, Travis Head.
On the other hand, Australia played their spinner Nathan Lyon who took four vital wickets in the fourth innings to complete the win for his side. Ashwin’s non-selection will remain a key talking point from this final for the BCCI, Rohit Sharma and all Indian cricket fans.
A talking point leading into the final was going to be which wicket-keeper could step up on test cricket’s biggest stage. It was Alex Carey, who with knocks of 48 and 66*, really stood up for his side. Carey’s cameos were vital in ensuring Australia kept momentum throughout the end of both their first and second innings.
Alongside Mitch Starc, the pair put on 51 for the eighth wicket to push Australia past 450 on Day 2. While on Day 4, Carey and Green played nicely putting on 93 for the seventh wicket to push the game beyond India’s control.
Now the Australian wicket-keeper is set to come up against Jonny Bairstow in what promises to be an intriguing battle throughout the duration of the Ashes.
(Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)
On June 23, it will be 10 years since the Indian men’s test cricket team has won an ICC trophy in any format of the game. Despite being in multiple finals and semi-finals, India’s inability to win big tournaments is certainly frustrating their fans, administrators and former players alike.
While India came into the final as the second-ranked team during this #WTC23 cycle (Australia ranked No.1), they were coming into the match with confidence having defeated Australia in India earlier this year with a 2-1 Border-Gavaskar series triumph.
India’s next opportunity to win an ICC tournament will bring huge pressure and expectation on the team, as they now prepare to host a home ODI World Cup in October and November this year.
The last time they hosted this event, they won the title in 2011.
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