WTC final 2023 date, WTC final 2023 venue, WTC Points Table, WTC final 2023 scenarios,WTC final 2023 teams, WTC final 2023 india squad, WTC final 2023 tickets, WTC final 2023 hosting country and everything else you need to know.
The World Test Championship 2023 (WTC 2023) is the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship that was introduced by cricket’s governing body ICC.
The aim of the tournament is to bring about more relevancy to the bilateral series cycle that takes place between all of the teams, and to bring back importance and prestige to the original format of the game.
The first final took place in 2021, when India took on New Zealand in the final. India went into the game as favourites but ended up on the losing side, with the Kane Williamson-led Kiwis taking home the inaugural WTC mace.
The Men in Blue have a chance to right the wrongs in 2023, however, as they will once again contest the final and this time it will take place against Australia.
In this article, we will address all of the key aspects of the WTC 2023 as well as the most commonly asked questions regarding the tournament.
WTC Final 2023 Date
The dates for the WTC Final 2023 are June 7-11, 2023. This is an interesting time to hold the one-off match as it is the beginning of the cricket season in England, so pitches will be fresh.
However, it is also during that time of the year wherein it is expected to rain in England. Therefore, there is a risk of the match being spoiled by rain – at least in parts.
That is why, while announcing the schedule, the ICC made sure to include a reserve day for the game in June 12.
Cricket fans around the world will doubtless be hoping that the reserve day does not come into play at all, but it is good that it is a contingency that has been planned for.
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WTC Final 2023 Venue
The venue for the final this time around is The Oval, London. In 2021, the final was held at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
The reason Southampton was chosen as the final venue is due to the fact that it fit COVID-19 bio-bubble restrictions, something that was an absolute necessity at the time given new waves of the virus were wreaking havoc the world over.
This time around, however, it seems unlikely that the COVID-19 virus will play a part in the game. Bio-bubbles have long since ceased being a part of sporting life, and even crowds have returned in full numbers.
WTC Final 2023 Scenarios
The final could well be impacted by rain, so whatever happens both teams will have to play the game keeping in mind that the weather could have a say in the match.
There’s also the fact that the conditions would be a bit of a mystery. The Oval is normally one of the more batter-friendly wickets in England, but a fresher pitch at the start of the season could offer up some extra assistance for the seamers.
Depending on the conditions, both teams could opt to play either three pacers and two spinners or four pacers and one spinner as their full-time bowling options.
Again, it remains unsure what combinations the teams will go for. And it will only become clearer once the event is closer to getting underway.
Also Read: Cricket World Cup Winners List | ICC ODI World Cup Winners List
WTC Final 2023 Teams
The two teams that will play in the WTC 2023 final are India and Australia. For Australia, this is their maiden appearance in the final of Test cricket’s maiden ICC tournament.
For India, this is their second appearance in the final as they also played in the final of the 2021 edition of the event.
India qualified for the final by finishing 2nd in the points standings for the WTC behind Australia, who topped the table by a comfortable margin despite losing their last series in this cycle away from home to India.
Australia finished with a points percentage of 66.67, whereas India were in second place with a points percentage of 58.80.
WTC Final 2023 India Squad
India named their squad for the WTC Final 2023 on April 25th, 2023. The squad they named is as follows:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat.
However, KL Rahul has since been ruled out of the game due to a hip injury suffered during the IPL 2023 game between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
As of now, there has been no replacement named for the man who once held the designation of India’s vice-captain.
Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Sarfaraz Khan and Hanuma Vihari have all been mooted as potential replacements.
WTC Final 2023 Tickets
Tickets for the marquee event went on general sale all the way back in March. In fact, the date when tickets first became available was March 3, 2023.
Incidentally, this came after India had lost the Indore Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which ate into their 2-0 lead and made the series 2-1.
The result ensured that Australia ended up qualifying for the event whereas India needed either a draw or a win in the final Test at Ahmedabad to secure their qualification.
Ticket prices range between 10-90 pounds, which is approximately Rs. 1000-9000 once converted into Indian currency.
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WTC Final 2023 Hosting Country
The final will be hosted in The Oval, a ground that has its place in English Test cricket history and will surely serve up a competitive pitch to ensure the Test match is a hard-fought one.
“The ICC World Test Championship Final will be a fantastic occasion for The Oval and will be the first neutral Test in the venue’s over 175-year history,” said Steve Elworthy, CEO of Surrey CCC.
“With the coveted World Test Championship Mace at stake, the two finalists will undoubtedly give it their best shot.
“We will welcome the fans in the true Oval spirit and ensure that they have a memorable time in what should be an epic finale to the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23.”
Incidentally, both finals have been hosted in England so far and it will be interesting to see if the 2025 WTC Final is hosted elsewhere.
WTC Points Table
| S.N. | TEAM | PCT (%) | PTS | MATCHES Won | MATCHES Lost | MATCHES Draw | SERIES | PEN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AUSTRALIA | 66.67 | 152 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| 2 | INDIA | 58.8 | 127 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 6 | -5 |
| 3 | AUSTRALIA | 55.56 | 100 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 4 | ENGLAND | 46.97 | 124 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 6 | -12 |
| 5 | SRI LANKA | 44.44 | 64 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | NEW ZEALAND | 38.46 | 60 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | PAKISTAN | 38.1 | 64 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 8 | WEST INDIES | 34.62 | 54 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 6 | -2 |
| 9 | BANGLADESH | 11.11 | 16 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
WTC 2021-23 – Points System
| Points per match | % of points* | |
| Win | 12 | 100 |
| Tie | 6 | 50 |
| Draw | 4 | 33.33 |
| Loss | 0 | 0 |
* Teams will be ranked on percentage of points won
* For slow over-rates teams will lose one championship point for each over short.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Who will play WTC final 2023?
Australia and India will play WTC Final 2023
Q. Who will replace KL Rahul in WTC final?
Ajinkya Rahane is likely to replace KL Rahul at No.5
Q. Is Ashes 2023 part of WTC?
No. Ashes will be part of WTC 2023-2025
Q. How many times India won WTC?
India played once in WTC final but lost to New Zealand.
Q. Which India team is playing 11 for WTC?
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav.
Also Read:
1) Cricket World Cup Trophy, Weight, Price, Made of, Winners
2) ICC World Cup 2023 Qualifiers, Teams, Schedule, Date, Time Table, Points Table