India and Australia lock horns in the WTC Final 2023, presenting fans and commentators a mouth-watering tie. Two of cricket’s biggest nations square off to claim one of the sport’s most coveted trophies. Commentators, fans, and everyone else have their sights set on some top battles to watch out for at this year’s final.
Australia edged out India to lead the 2023 WTC points table (66.6 PCT) after nineteen games. India followed closely in second position with a 58.8 PCT after playing one fewer game than the Aussies. India’s appearance at this year’s WTC is their second-consecutive berth, setting an early record for most final places in the competition.
India set the stage for this encounter by defeating Australia 2 – 1 in a 4-game series (the Border-Gavaskar Trophy) earlier in 2023. Other teams like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and New Zealand put on a last-minute charge to claim second-place, but India came out on top.
The Australia cricket team is always loaded with exciting talent from top bowlers, batters, all-rounders, experienced fielders, and more. Big names like Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc and others make up the Australia WTC Final 2023 lineup.
India vs. Australia WTC Final 2023: Key Battles to Watch Out For
1. David Warner and Steve Smith against Ravichandran Ashwin
David Warner brings his wealth of experience and exciting skillset to the final against India. Many Aussie fans will be expecting Warner to deliver a deathly blow to some of India’s top bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin.
Steve Smith also provides several breathtaking performances against opposing teams but could be in for a tough time against Ashwin.
Warner and Smith have mixed records against Ravichandran Ashwin and may look to improve their numbers against the deadly left-hand bowler. Ashwin has managed to knock out Warner and Smith more than five times combined with a decent average; India fans will hope he destroys the game plan of both Aussies at the WTC Final 2023.
2. Pat Cummins against Virat Kohli
Pat Cummins is one of very few bowlers in the game to limit Virat Kohli to a few runs. It’s surprising since Kohli is a record-holding IPL batter for most runs scored and can rack up half-centuries for fun. But Virat’s record against Cummins is quite poor – less than 100 runs scored against the Aussie on all-time leaderboards.
Team India fans, commentators, and everyone else in the cricket community is expecting Kohli to man a tough challenge at WTC Final 2023. Cummins could also be out to limit the veteran batter’s scoring prowess yet again, but we’ll wait to see how that battle turns out.
3. Steve Smith against Ravindra Jadeja
Steve Smith remains one of Australia’s most-talented players to date, delivering some of the team’s best performances throughout the WTC 2021/23 cycle. However, Smith will need to deal with the towering threat of Ravindra Jadeja – one of India’s most experienced and skilled players.
Jadeja is currently in the form of his life and is keenly regarded as the best Test all-rounder among all participating teams. Ravindra’s experience as a batter and capable bowler caused all sorts of problems for the Aussies during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Jadeja brings his experience as a starter and one of India’s reliable WTC players throughout this season.
He also doubles as an eagle-eye fielder and could ruin Australia’s party even when he’s out of a bat or bowl position.
4. Mitch Starc against Shubman Gill
Mitch Starc is a promising Aussie bowler and one of the players to watch out for at the WTC Final 2023. The talented pace bowler will need to up his game at this event against Shubman Gill – one of the world’s best players. Gill brings his talents and massive trophy cabinet to this year’s event. He is one of the most-decorated players at IPL 2023 and could be the choice starter for India.
Starc also needs to worry about other veterans like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli if he plans to overcome India on the field.
5. Usman Khwaja against Mohammed Shami
Australia has some of the world’s best batters in players like Steve Smith and David Warner. However, Usman Khwaja made several statements at the recent WTC cycle. Khwaja bagged 1600+ runs at this event, driving Australia straight into the final.
Khwaja will need to replicate his breathtaking performances against an experienced and resilient India side. He will have to deal with top Indian stars like Mohammed Shami to ensure Australia get their hands on the trophy.
Shami may have something to say about Khwaja and his form though, with the experienced bowler grabbing the most wickets at IPL 2023.
