India and Australia are scheduled to face each other in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will take place at the Oval in London starting from June 7. The Aussies secured the top position in the WTC points table with a percentage of 66.67, while India are right behind them at the second spot with a percentage of 58.8. It’s worth mentioning that this will be India’s second consecutive appearance in the final, having previously lost to New Zealand in the inaugural edition by eight wickets. Unlike last time when Virat Kohli was the captain, Rohit Sharma will be leading India in the upcoming summit clash.
Notably, the World Test Championship final in 2021 encountered a complete washout of the two-day play due to rain. Likewise, for this year’s final, a reserve day has been designated to account for any potential interference by rain over the course of the five-day match.
It is worth noting that the reserve day will come into action if there is a considerable reduction in the overall playing time or a significant loss of overs during the initial five days. For the unversed, the standard playing time in Test matches consists of 30 hours, with six hours of play per day or 90 overs per day.
Who will get the trophy if the WTC Final ends in a draw?
In the scenario where the match concludes in a draw, despite the implementation of the reserve day, both teams will share the trophy. The team’s placement in the points table prior to the final will not grant them any advantage, as only a victory will determine the rightful owner of the highly sought-after trophy.
Heading into the significant showdown, the team led by Rohit is grappling with injuries to key players like Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul. Furthermore, the Indian players are entering the match after an uninterrupted two-month stint in the IPL, which may result in them not being as physically and mentally refreshed for the game. On the other hand, the majority of Australian players did not participate in the IPL and will enter the mega event after a well-deserved two-month break.
