The dates for the World Test Championship final have been revealed by the ICC on Thursday with India among the teams vying for a spot in the summit clash. The Oval will stage the final from 7 to 11 June with a reserve day in place (12 June).
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 8, 2023 14:52 IST
The Border-Gavaskar trophy 2023 will play a big role in determining the WTC finals (Courtesy: PTI)
By India Today Web Desk: The ICC has announced the date for the final of the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship on Wednesday.
The summit clash will be played at The Oval, London from 7 to 11 June with a reserve day in place (12 June). New Zealand won the inaugural edition of the competition by beating India by eight wickets in Southampton in 2021.
Australia leads the points table for the current cycle with a points percentage of 75.56 and are followed by India who are on 58.93. Both teams are set to lock horns from Thursday as the prestigious Border-Gavaskar trophy will get underway with the result of the series playing a major factor in determining the finalists for the clash at the Oval this year.
According to ICC’s official website, Australia captain Pat Cummins said that playing the WTC final has been a big motivator to the team over the years.
“The prospect of playing in the World Test Championship Final has been a big motivator for us over the last couple of years, more so now having missed out on over rates last time,” said Cummins.
“To play at a neutral venue like The Oval adds another element for both sides who make the Final. It’s exciting and has been a goal of ours for a while now. We are confident we can secure a place while here in India after a really strong 12 months. The Final would be a great reward for the players and staff who have done so well.”
India captain Rohit Sharma said that leading the team out for the final would be special and said he is excited to book their place in the summit clash.
“Leading Team India out onto the field of play at the World Test Championship Final would be special. We have grown and developed as a team during this competition and to be in with a chance of lifting the Mace at the Oval in June, we know we first need to overcome a tough Australia side.”
“There have been so many dramatic moments in Test cricket lately, and there are undoubtedly more to come. I am excited by the prospect of booking our place at the Final and hopefully creating history later in the year,” said Sharma.
Sri Lanka (53.33%) in third and South Africa (48.72%) in fourth are also in with a chance to make it to the Oval for the final. Sri Lanka have two away Tests against New Zealand remaining in the ongoing cycle, while the Proteas will face West Indies in a two-match home series.
HOW CAN INDIA QUALIFY FOR THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL?
This is the question on everyone’s lips ahead of the Border-Gavaskar trophy. The Indian team will be eager to make it two-in-two when it comes to the WTC finals and will be looking to win the mace this time.
Australia, more or less, have their spot booked in the summit clash meaning that Rohit Sharma and men have their work cut-out.
If India win one out of four matches, the PCT will be 51.39. It will go up to 56.9 if they win two and 62.5 if they win atleast three games. The maximum South Africa can get would be 55.5 if they beat West Indies in the home series.
So, India would need to win the series by a margin of 2-0 to confirm their spot in the ICC WTC final.
