World Test Championship final - India in prime position for WTC final win

India have won three, lost one and drawn one of their last five Tests, while Australia have only won one Test in five, but that was three months ago, and a lot of overs have passed under the IPL bridge since then. India’s best and brightest have been hammering white balls to all parts of India as their annual spectacular cricketing event has once again proven dramatic and enthralling.  

But two months of T20 cricket, batting at over 8 to the over, ramp shots, reverse sweeps and bowlers generally being carved left, right and centre. That doesn't seem like the best preparation for the World Test Championship, where five days and eight red Dukes balls are awaiting action. English conditions are generally enjoyed by Australian teams, and their pace attack could prove tricky if they can knock over a few wickets early in either Indian innings.

The Oval is also known to help spinners, which plays well to India and Australia, and India’s pace attack will also be able to make good use of the Oval track. Victory is most likely to boil down to which side bats the best, which should make for a fascinating Test as both sides have the ability to cruise past 450, yet both have also suffered baffling collapses on numerous occasions over the past few years. 

This suggests these two teams will put up a superb display of Test cricket at its best.

A lot might depend on pre-match preparation, in which case some might feel that Australia have the upper hand, having been less exposed to T20 cricket than the bulk of the Indian squad. Experienced professionals should find it easy to adjust their game from white to red with a week’s preparation, but it’s not always so easy, especially with instinct playing such a major role in batting.

On the English circuit, a few Aussies have been keeping their hands in since their last Test series. Peter Handscomb has made 112 and 95 in his 13 innings for Leicestershire, Steve Smith scored an 89 from his three innings for Sussex, and Marnus Labuschagne has scored 64, 65, 170*, 42 & 138 in eight innings for Glamorgan. In the IPL, Cameron Green and David Warner have done well, but most of the Australian Test bowlers (and some crucial batters) have had no competitive match play for two months.  

The unavailability of Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant has swung the balance somewhat in Australia’s favour. India would otherwise be clear favourites to beat Australia if both players were fit and firing. In the white-ball arena, Shubman ​​Gill and Virat Kohli have been on fire with the bat, and the bowlers are all in a good rhythm, even if they’re been taking a pounding. That’s a good start. 

India’s one Test player not involved in the IPL – Cheteshwar Pujara – has been carving out red-ball runs for Sussex in recent weeks, with scores of 115, 151, 136 and 77. He should step into the Oval Test as Mr Reliable, the anchor around who others play in their own sweet way around him. 

With Kohli back in the 100s in T20 and Test cricket, and batting with his slightly more cautious approach, the Indian side should have three to four batters eager to score more freely, but backed-up by Kohli and Pujara batting with greater circumspection. That’s a daunting prospect for the rusty Aussie bowlers in particular.

Both sides are dangerous, and Australia can never be written off, but my feeling is that the rhythm and confidence of playing regular IPL cricket will give India the edge over Australia.

The odds for this fixture have yet to be released.