The second edition of the World Test Championship will be upon us in about 3 months from now. India and Australia will compete for the title. For Australia, who has won everything under the sun, this is the only ICC Trophy that hasn’t adorned their glittering cabinet. As for India, it has been more than 10 years since they won any ICC tournament. They have come close only to fall in the last or penultimate hurdle. In terms of a recent big tournament win, Australia is ahead of India. They won the World T20 as recently as 2021. What must India do to win the WTC finals?
Let us get onething straight. Australia will be the odds-on favourite in the finals. They have an extensive knowledge of the English conditions and with The Ashes scheduled to commence in July, one would assume that they will have all the bases covered for the England tour and that includes the WTC finals. Another important factor in favour of Australia is that most of their main bowlers have had decent enough breaks. Either forced or because of injury. Cummins missed the last couple of Tests in India whereas Starc, the first couple. Hazlewood the entire series. Lyon will not be part of the IPL and hence will have an extended break.
The pressure on India will be enormous. They will have to cover every possible base to be in prime condition for the finals. Against an Australian side who will eager to avenge the multiple series losses over the last several years, India will not only have to be in peak form but will also have to be mentally strong. I have tried to identify the 5 aspects that the team and the board must take care of inorder to win the finals.
First class games
The entire Indian contingent with the exception of Pujara will be involved in more than 2 months of T20 cricket. This format is a complete antithesis of the longer version. The pitches in all the games during the IPL will be so batsmen friendly that it will be easier to just hit through the line. Moreover, the white ball will not at all swing and the dew conditions in the night will hamper the spinners in some of the games making the entire tournament skewed in favour of the batsmen.
A minimum of 14 games will hinder the techniques of both the batsmen and the bowlers. The format itself does not encourage the bowlers to try and pick up wickets and they will be content to restrict the opposition.
Under such a scenario, the finals will be held in alien conditions. The IPL finals will be held on the last week of May and the WTC finals are scheduled to commence on 7 June. It hardly leaves the team with any preparation time. A similar IPL schedule hampered the Indian team’s preparation in 2021 and the same awaits now. BCCI never learns.
A strong opponent is important too
Before the finals, a couple of first class games are mandatory. It will not only help the Indian team to acclimatise to the foreign conditions, though they have visited England regularly, but will also help them in preparing against the red-ball after being exposed to white-ball cricket for more than 2 months. Ideally, 2 practise games will be required before the finals but due to the paucity of time, the board must at the very least, arrange for one game. Arranging a preparatory game is onething but to ensure quality opposition is another.
The board must use their influence with the ECB to field a strong enough team to ensure proper practice for the team. Before 2021, New Zealand played an unscheduled 2-Test series against England which paved the way for their victory. An Indian win in the WTC finals will also help the English team inadvertently because it may bring down the confidence in Australia by a notch. Indians are likely to protest but they must be shown the bigger picture.
The importance of proper practice games before an important series can never be overstated. Nowadays, it has become a fashion to opt out of such games. Ofcourse, far too much cricket is also to be blamed but before every crucial series, these games will be invaluable. For inspiration, India will do well to cast their mind to the 2020 Australian tour where they played a couple of preparatory games and emerged victors in the end.
Swing bowlers
This is where India is likely to struggle. English conditions are known to help the swing bowlers. Especially, when the clouds rollover. India is severely restricted on this front. Shami, Siraj & Umesh, who are likely to form the attack, are essentially hit the deck bowlers. More suited for the bounce of Australia and South Africa. Unfortunately, the decline of Bhuvneshwar Kumar has left a huge void. With his bowling skills and his ability with the bat, he could have been an asset in England.
Shardul Thakur is the best bet but he lacks serious pace. Arshdeep Singh is another who can swing the ball and his left-arm angle will complement the other bowlers but his international experience is limited. Will it be worth the risk at a high profile final? The selectors will have to find a swing bowler who is good enough at the international level. I am afraid the options are limited at the moment.
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