The World Test Championship 2023 final between India and Australia will take place at The Oval on June 7, marking the beginning of the final countdown. India will make their second consecutive appearance in the WTC final, having succumbed to New Zealand in June 2021.
Both India and Australia have announced their respective lineups for the upcoming match at the neutral venue. In addition, the balls used in the final will be distinct from those used in the players’ home countries. While India uses SG balls for tests, Australia uses Kookaburra balls.
Since the ICC employs the ball of the “host country” for the event, the final will be played with the Dukes, which are used in England.
An ICC source was quoted by News18 as saying, “For all ICC events, the ICC uses the ball of choice of the host nation; therefore, the ball for the WTC Final will be Dukes, which is used in England.”
We will attempt to get all available athletes to the United Kingdom. Rohit Sharma
In order to prepare for the final, Indian captain Rohit Sharma stated that the WTC final’s fast bowlers would be given the Dukes ball to practice with during the IPL 2023.
“We are sending Duke balls to all fast bowlers, and if they get a chance to bowl with them, it will depend on the individuals. The guys who will be a part of the final are not those who have never played in the United Kingdom, with the exception of maybe one or two players. I don’t believe it will be a major issue. After the drawn fourth Test against Australia in March 2023, Rohit stated, “Look, I believe in preparation, and preparations will be key for us come the final.”
Rohit had also stated that the players of the IPL teams eliminated early would be sent to England as soon as feasible to acclimate themselves to the conditions. The IPL 2023 championship match will take place on May 28, and the semifinals will begin on May 23.
“By the 21st of May, six teams will likely be eliminated from IPL play-off contention, so whichever players are available, we will try to get them to the United Kingdom as soon as possible and give them some time, and we will monitor as much as possible,” Rohit said in Ahmedabad.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who is not participating in the IPL, is already in England competing for Sussex in the County Championship. Pujara has begun his preparations and has already scored a century in the inaugural match of the season while captaining Sussex. Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood (recovering from injury), Mitchell Marsh, and David Warner are all participating for Australia in the lucrative division.
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