WTC 2023: ICC Confirms Dates For World Test Championship 2023 Final: The ICC has confirmed that the final of the second edition of the World Test Championship (WTC) will be played from June 7 to June 11 with June 12 slotted as the reserve day. The WTC 2023 Final is slated to be held at The Oval, London.
New Zealand won the inaugural WTC final in 2021, by defeating India in Southampton.
However, the Kiwis are out of the race for the WTC 2023 final.
Australia currently are the table-toppers for the ongoing cycle and are likely to finish in the top
two; Australia have to avoid a 4-0 loss to India and avoid losing over-rate penalty points to seal a
place in the WTC final.
Australian skipper Pat Cummins has set it a goal for himself and his team to reach the WTC
final, which will be played just a week before the Ashes series in England will start. So that’s
another motivating factor for the Aussie camp, to establish their status as the best Test team in
the world ahead of the Ashes.
“The prospect of playing in the World Test Championship Final has been a big motivator
for us over the last couple of years, more so now having missed out on over rates last time,” said Australia captain Pat Cummins.
“To play at a neutral venue like The Oval adds another element for both sides who make
the Final. It’s exciting and has been a goal of ours for a while now. We are confident we can secure a place while here in India after a really strong 12 months. The Final would be a great reward for the players and staff who have done so well.”
India, second in the table and only behind Australia, are also likely to make it to the WTC final,
but their chances would be hampered if Sri Lanka beat New Zealand in New Zealand 2-0 and
they go down to Australia or even if the series ends in a draw.
India captain Rohit Sharma also wishes for a chance to feature in the blockbuster WTC final, win
it and hold the Test mace.
“Leading Team India out onto the field of play at the World Test Championship Final
would be special. We have grown and developed as a team during this competition and to
be in with a chance of lifting the Mace at the Oval in June, we know we first need to
overcome a tough Australia side.
“There have been so many dramatic moments in Test cricket lately, and there are
undoubtedly more to come. I am excited by the prospect of booking our place at the Final
and hopefully creating history later in the year,” Rohit said.
Sri Lanka (53.33%) and South Africa (48.72%) too, the third and fourth-placed teams
respectively, too have a decent chance of making it to the WTC final, but they will have to
depend on the results of the India-Australia series.
Sri Lanka will have to win 2-0 in New Zealand to keep their chances alive, while South Africa
have a 2-Test home series against West Indies, which they must win to keep themselves floating
in the WTC final race.
