The stage is set for the highly anticipated World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023. Rohit Sharma‘s Indian team will lock horns with their formidable opponent Australia, led by Pat Cummins, at the historic Oval Cricket Ground.
The WTC 2023 final is slated to be held from June 7th to June 11th, 2023. Cricket enthusiasts from around the globe eagerly await the clash between two cricketing powerhouses, Australia and India, who currently hold the top two spots in the ICC Test Teams Rankings.
And as always, Virat Kohli will remain India’s main batter and the centre of attraction for the fans. He is coming to the game after scoring 639 runs in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Kohli has given spectators a lot of good memories to be cherished forever in the past few months. And fans are now eagerly awaiting to see the updated version of Kohli in the next coming years.
Kohli’s love for the game’s longest format is not unknown. The former Indian captain, who has never shied away from talking about the importance of Test cricket, is now on the verge of surpassing the milestones set by the cricketing giants that remain a hard nut to crack for most batters.
Here are the milestones that Kohli can achieve in the upcoming WTC final 2023:
1. Surpassing Don Bradman’s tally of 29 Test tons
Kohli, who has 28 Test hundreds, is one short of Don Bradman’s tally of 29. If the veteran Indian batsman scores tons in both innings of the upcoming Oval Test, he will surpass one of the greatest batters of all time.
2. Crossing Rahul Dravid’s Test runs against Australia
Kohli is at number five on the list of Indian batters who scored most runs against Australia. He has the chance to overtake Rahul Dravid in the soon-to-begin WTC 2023 final. Kohli must score 164 runs more to break Dravid’s record to surpass him. Dravid scored 2143 runs in 60 innings against the Aussies, including two centuries and 13 half-centuries. Kohli, meanwhile, has scored 1979 runs in 42 innings versus Australia.
3. Overtaking Vivian Richards and Virendra Sehwag’s Test runs
Kohli currently boasts an impressive 8,416 runs in 108 Test matches. If he scores 125 runs in the WTC final, he will surpass the legendary West Indies batter, Sir Vivian Richards, who accumulated 8,540 Test runs during his illustrious career.
In addition to Richards’ record, Kohli has an opportunity to surpass the Test run tally of former Indian opener Virender Sehwag. Sehwag’s record stands at 8,586 runs in Test cricket. To eclipse his former teammate, Kohli must score 171 runs in the WTC final.
4. Breaking Ricky Ponting’s record of centuries in India-Australia matches
Kohli has notched up eight centuries against Australia and is now tied with Ricky Ponting and Sunil Gavaskar. Only Sachin Tendulkar has more hundreds in India-Australia matches, with 11 centuries. Kohli has the bright chance to overtake both the legends of the game in the final of WTC 2023.
India will enter this contest to avenge their loss in the previous WTC Final against New Zealand and end their decade-long ICC title drought. For Australia, it’s a big chance to cement the legacy of one of the best Test team ever and lay down the marker for the upcoming Ashes series in England.
