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This Wednesday, all the Test Cricket from the past three years comes down to this. It is the best two Test sides in the world taking on each other at The Oval.
India took the brownie points from their most recent encounter at home, beating Australia 2-1 in March.
Nonetheless, Australia has finished first on the World Test Championship table and has deserved to be throughout the past three years. India over the three-year period has experienced the captaincy of Virat Kohli and the present captain Rohit Sharma.
For Australia, Pat Cummins took over the reins after Tim Paine sensationally stood down on the eve of the 2021 Ashes.
The battle between the first and second-ranked Test teams in the world leaves many burning questions to be answered – only time will answer them.
Can India’s pace attack step up in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence?
The team found a way to do this in their recent series against Australia, but in more pace-friendly conditions the plight of their pace bowling will be tested and utilised more. You can’t question the ability of Mohammed Shami, who has been a warrior for the Indians for an entire decade, picking up 45 wickets in the three-year bracket.
Question marks around Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav’s skills at the Test level are still unanswered, with Yadav playing just five Tests in the past two years.
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Can Thakur replicate the form he had in England last time?
India’s pain of losing the last Test Championship Final against New Zealand will ignite the flame to win this year, but can they? India has had a recent history of underperforming in big world tournaments and would rue themselves if another is lost.
Excluding the Asia Cup finals the last time India won an ICC event was when they won the ICC Champions Trophy all the way back in 2013 against England.
In contrast, Australia has the ability to step up in big games with a great record in World Cups. Adding the World Test Championship trophy would look nice in the trophy cabinet for the Aussies.
Has the preparation been efficient for each nation?
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Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting said the Australians have done “nothing” in preparation for the huge matches ahead in the two-month period.
“At least all the Indian guys have been playing competitive cricket in the IPL. So, coming in fresh without any cricket – is that better?” the former captain said.
The decision from the Australians not to have any tour matches has been a divisive issue for many, but is this a sign of the future for cricket given there are so many matches being played?
We will soon find out whether this impacts each side’s performance or not.
Pat Cummins of Australia chases a ball to the boundary. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Does T20 cricket classify as practice for a cut-throat final on foreign shores?
Most Indian players have played in the IPL for the build-up, except for Cheteshwar Pujara playing County cricket for Sussex. Many Aussie Test players have continued to play small stints for counties including Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Bancroft, Micheal Neser and Marcus Harris.
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Does David Warner have anything left in the tank?
David Warner’s form in England is a concern after a horror Ashes campaign in 2019, where he averaged 9.50 for the whole series. The 36-year-old opened up this week saying, “If I can get through this (WTC Final and ensuing Ashes campaign) and make the Pakistan series, l will definitely finish up then.”
From living in a housing commission flat as a kid to becoming a cricket legend, there’s no doubt Warner is a fighter and will give everything thing he has for the next two months.
Will Warner survive?
With Cameron Bancroft and Matthew Renshaw breathing down his neck a poor WTC Final could bring his career closer to an end.
For many players in their mid-late thirties, this could certainly be the last hurrah for most of these players in their quest for Test glory. May the battle begin.
