The battles to watch out for as India take on Australia in the ICC World Test Championship final

After two months of scintillating IPL cricket, Test cricket returns with a blockbuster encounter between its two fiercest exponents. At the start of the millennium, India-Australia Tests would usually comprise some valiant Indian displays before a rampant Australia invariably marched to victory. That is no longer the case, with the power shift over recent years making India slight favourites ahead of the latest ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval.

Before both teams take to the field to play the biggest Test match of the season, My Kolkata previews the individual battles to watch out for.

Rohit Sharma versus Nathan Lyon

Nathan Lyon has dismissed Rohit Sharma eight times in Test cricket so far

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The Indian skipper will be looking to set the tone for his team with a big-match performance at The Oval. Rohit Sharma has had enough experience facing the Aussie spearheads and should be comfortable against pace on a track that looks greener than most Indian outfields. But the bowler Rohit has to be most wary of is Australia’s spin king, Nathan Lyon, who seems to have the Hitman’s number, having already dismissed him on eight occasions in whites. With or without support from the surface, Lyon, who has taken more wickets than any other bowler in the current WTC cycle, will pose a considerable threat to Rohit. Not least because Lyon’s ability to make the ball bounce unexpectedly (usually with some top spin) will make it harder for Rohit to play his attacking shots.

Virat Kohli versus Mitchell Starc

Virat Kohli and Mitchell Starc know each other’s games inside out

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In many people’s eyes, this is still the ultimate contest between bat and ball in Test cricket. Virat Kohli and Mitchell Starc may have come to the end of their respective peaks, but they remain phenomenal players as well as compelling characters. With more than a decade’s experience to count on from previous battles, both men know what to expect from each other. For Kohli, the key is to be aggressive and keep finding runs against Starc, who is not immune to giving away freebies every now and then. For Starc, who has seen the back of Kohli thrice before in Tests, the plan should be to get the Indian batter to play across the line and beat him for pace to bring the LBW into effect.

Ravindra Jadeja versus Marnus Labuschagne

Ravindra Jadeja had Marnus Labuschagne’s number when the two squared off in India earlier this year

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The number one ranked ICC batter in the world will be in for a gripping face-off against the game’s number one ranked all-rounder. Earlier this year, Marnus Labuschagne had a hard time reading Ravindra Jadeja on spin-friendly wickets in India. Conditions will be different in England, but Jadeja could still be as dangerous, partly because he is now bowling faster than ever before, as was evident in the IPL. Psychologically, Jadeja has the edge, having already got Labuschagne’s wicket four times in 2023. At the same time, Australia’s number three has had an extended preparation in England in the lead up to the WTC final and can go back to his golden run in the country in 2019 in case he needs to inspire himself.

Shubman Gill versus Cameroon Green

Shubman Gill and Cameron Green enter the WTC final on the back of excellent IPL campaigns

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In the battle for next-gen supremacy, we will witness two of the most in-form youngsters go head-to-head in the coveted Test showpiece. Coming off a red-hot IPL, both Shubman Gill and Cameroon Green have announced themselves as future stars, while already starting to own the present. Green, who debuted against India in the 2021 bilateral series, will be hoping his first outing in England against a familiar side comes off with both bat and ball. It is with the ball that his task will be cut out against Gill, probably the most in-form batter in the game right now. Even though Gill has greater momentum going into this battle, Green has what it takes to force the Indian opener into a false shot at any stage of the innings.

Mohammed Siraj versus David Warner

Mohammed Siraj will try to pin the aggressive David Warner onto the backfoot

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After setting his retirement date for later this year, David Warner will be looking to end his WTC journey with a flourish. English conditions have not always been to his liking, but Australia’s pocket dynamo is still a handful at the top if he gets going. Mohammed Siraj has both the pace and the swing to trouble Warner, particularly with the outswinger early on. Siraj got the better of Warner twice back in 2021 and will also want to push Warner back by hitting the deck hard and cutting off his scoring areas. How Warner responds will reveal a lot about his mental space as well as Australia’s chances in the final.