With the completion of the IPL 2023, Indian players have turned their attention to the forthcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, where they will face the No. 1 ranked Australian squad in an attempt to break their ten-year ICC title drought. The transition from white to red ball may be difficult for Indian players, but spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel said that the WTC final-bound players practiced with Duke’s ball even during IPL 16.
“It was discussed even during the IPL that we would bowl with the red ball.” We had some red balls, so we used them. You understand when and how to play, as well as how much time you have. This mental shift from white ball to red ball is undoubtedly difficult, but we have enough time,” Patel told the ICC.
‘We ordered…” during the IPL.’
“The difference is the Dukes ball stays shinier for longer,” Axar continued. But, because we had ordered the ball during the IPL, we were practicing with it and had become accustomed to it. “It should be mentioned that Indian players arrived in the United Kingdom in separate groups for the upcoming WTC final. The players who had been kicked out of the IPL exited first, followed by those whose teams had been eliminated in the playoffs. Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Shubman Gill, and others came in the final group after the IPL 2023 final concluded in the early hours of Tuesday (May 30).
The big match between India and Australia will take place on June 7 at London’s famous Kennington Oval. In the first WTC final, in Southampton, India’s team led by Virat Kohli lost to New Zealand by eight wickets, so they would be eager to win the Test match this time.
India’s final team to play Australia in the WTC final
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (wk)
Standby players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, and Suryakumar Yadav
