India looks set to reach back-to-back World Test Championship WTC final 2023 if they can overcome Australia in their next competitive fixture. Plans are already in top gear to install a pace-friendly track for the final game in Ahmedabad to prepare players for a potential berth in London from June 7, 2023.
India needed a 3-0 or 3-1 victory over Australia right before the first ball took flight at this year’s Border-Gavaskar trophy competition. Any other scoreline will take India’s qualification hopes out of their hands.
India captain R. Sharma does not want to get ahead of himself, especially on the back of a loss in Test match three against Australia at the Holkar Stadium last Wednesday. He spoke about his team already preparing for action in a potential final against Australia in the final Test match.
Sharma told reporters in a media interaction that all team members are currently practicing in an environment simulated to match English weather conditions. And since it’s confirmed that Australia will play in this year’s final, Sharma believes his team needs to be at their best:
“It will be a different ball game (about facing Australia in London) for both teams, actually. There is a possibility of that (about Ahmedabad as a preparatory game for the WTC final). We have already spoken about it. We need to get the guys ready for it“
Preparations for the WTC Final 2023
The WTC final starts on June 7 and runs through to the 11th at The Oval, London. All roads lead to this cricket ground immediately after the IPL rounds off.
Talking about his team’s preparedness for the final, Sharma identified the importance of experienced bowler Shardul Thakur. The bowler has ample experience playing for teams in such overseas conditions, and he could become a vital part of India’s preparations. The skipper (Sharma) had this to say about Thakur:
“The important one is Shardul Thakur because he comes into the planning for us. We don’t know how ready he is since he has just got married. We don’t know how many overs he has bowled. But that thought process is there…
If we get the result we want, we might think of doing something different (in the final game). But we are not there yet. We have to win this game and then talk about it. That’ll be the right thing to do“
NCA/BCCI Preparations for the WTC Final 2023
The National Cricket Association (NCA) collaborates with IPL franchises to improve workload management for all selected internationals. The association provides special instructions on managing injuries and bowling stats for capped players.
This year, four (4) players – Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, and Mohammed Siraj – received special attention while featuring for their franchises at the IPL. These players received monitoring to reduce injuries and improve their efficiency for a potential WTC final berth.
The BCCI also ensures pacers and all-rounders get lesser workloads from their teams to reduce sudden injuries. Officials from the BCCI operate to maintain players’ form to avoid incidents similar to that of Jasprit Bumrah, who is still sidelined with a long injury.
16 – 0 at Home?
India currently enjoys one of the longest series wins in competitive cricket with fifteen straight home victories. The team’s skipper feels getting to the WTC final is a major achievement they plan to accomplish, so the fourth game promises to be an entertaining encounter.
“Yes there are home conditions but they are challenging conditions; it is not easy for the batters to score runs consistently“
The skipper identified Australia’s collapse in the second innings of the last Test matches as a major advantage for India:
“That’s the beauty of this game and the pitches we are playing on. It can happen to us as well, not just to them. I played 200 balls in Nagpur and never felt set. It just takes one ball to grip or keep low and you are out. On pitches like this, you are never in.
Talking further, the captain believes India has everything needed to qualify for the final, but there is no room for complacency:
“We have quality spinners who can change things around just like that but that does not give us the guarantee that we are going to win the Test or roll them over in one session. We have got to keep the discipline” India’s captain believes the spinners will come all out to deliver, especially against an Australia side popular for late resurgence throughout Test matches
