Three key battles in the Australia v India World Test Championship final
Australia and India meet this week in the second World Test Championship final in a match worth $1.6 million to the winners and $800,000 to the runners-up.
Rahul Dravid Sport News
"In The Course Of 18 Months...": Rahul Dravid Opens Up On His Learning As India Coach Ahead Of WTC Final
The incredibly high number of matches in recent years forced the Indian team to "use" a lot of players across formats, said head coach Rahul Dravid on Tuesday. On the eve of the World Test Championship final against Australia at the Oval, Dravid spoke about his experiences of coaching the Indian side and how his journey has been. "We have got some experienced players, we've got a lot of younger players coming through as well over the course of last 18 months. We had to use a lot of players because of three different formats and amount of cricket India plays," Dravid told Star Sports.
"You Make A Comeback And...": Rahul Dravid's Major Hint On Ajinkya Rahane Ahead Of WTC Final
Ajinkya Rahane is set to play his first Test in 18 months and a failure in the game could potentially be career-ending. India coach Rahul Dravid had a word of advice for the experienced batter. "Firstly it's good to have him. We've had a few injuries which have probably led to him having the opportunity to come back into the squad. Great for us to have someone of his quality back," Dravid said.
Has Franchise Cricket Affected Test Matches? Rahul Dravid Gives Straight Answer
They may not have won an ICC title in 10 years but India head coach Rahul Dravid on Monday insisted his team is not feeling any pressure going into the World Test Championship final against Australia. However, the former India captain said it would be nice to win the trophy as it is something his team has worked towards over the last two years. India lost the inaugural WTC final to New Zealand in 2021 and have been guilty of faltering in knockout games. "No, not at all. I mean we don't feel any pressure in terms of trying to win an ICC trophy. Of course it would be nice to do it. It would be certainly nice to be able to win an ICC tournament. But also in the context of things, you look at this and you see this is the culmination of two years of work.
India vs Australia: Two Days Before WTC Final This Is How The Oval Pitch Looks Like. See Pics
The Indians are taking the Mitchell Starc threat very seriously and if one goes by their second training session at The Oval ahead of the World Test Championship final, they are yet to decide between Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat as their wicket-keeping choice. Australia trained in the morning in cold and overcast conditions, but the Indians brought sunshine to The Oval when they turned up in the afternoon session. Though it was an optional session, the majority of the members showed up barring Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and reserve player Suryakumar Yadav.
'Ultimate Test': India Face Tough Australia Challenge As It Aims To End ICC Title Drought
A formidable bunch of Indian cricketers will require a perfect blend of skill and temperament when it clashes with an equally-strong Australia in the World Test Championship final, starting Wednesday, with an aim to end a decade-long global trophy jinx. India have been the most consistent side over the past two WTC cycles and also reached knockout phases of major white-ball tournaments over the last 10 years but a trophy has eluded them. The last major ICC trophy India won was way back in 2013 when it bagged the Champions Trophy in England.
Not Rahul Dravid Or Sourav Ganguly! Virender Sehwag Picks Pakistan Great As Best Middle-Order Batter
Legendary Indian cricket team opener Virender Sehwag picked Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq as the best ever middle-order batsman of Asia. In the recent episode of “Breakfast with Champions” hosted by Gaurav Kapoor, Sehwag explained how the former Pakistan skipper embodied fearless batting even in the early 2000s and also made it clear why he picked Inzamam over Sachin Tendulkar. Calling Tendulkar “a league of his own”, Sehwag said that Inzamam is the best among the “rest” and he was one of the few batters in Asia who were not bothered by rising required run rates.
Virat Kohli Joins Team India Training Ahead Of WTC Final, Rohit Sharma To Hit Nets From Tuesday
Batting mainstay Virat Kohli joined the national team's training session on Monday at the picturesque Arundel Castle Cricket Club along with left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat, who seemed to have recovered from left shoulder injury. India will play Australia at the Oval in the one-off Test from June 7 to 11. The BCCI on Monday shared pictures of the members of the team, including Kohli, pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj on their official twitter handle. "Team India members begin their preparations for the WTC23 at Arundel Castle Cricket Club," BCCI said in a tweet.