Oval Record To Selection Dilemma: Challenges For India Ahead Of WTC Final

India will take on Australia in the final of the ICC World Test Championship at The Oval from June 7 onwards. While it is India's second successive final in the tournament and comes after plenty of good performances throughout the year, including against England in the UK, the title clash has brought with it a set of worries as well. India has some things that they will surely worry about, stay concerned about and look forward to rectify during the high-stakes match.

The poor record of middle-order batters at The Oval

Indian middle-order batters Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have a worrisome record at this venue. Virat's record has not been very encouraging though it is modest at best. In his three matches at the venue, he has scored 169 runs at an average of 28.16, with just one half-century, a knock of 50. His six innings include two single-digit scores, including a duck.

Pujara, India's rock-solid number three has a shaky record at the venue as well. In three Tests, he has scored 117 runs at an average of 19.50, with just one fifty. His six innings, consist of three single-digit scores, including a duck.

Rahane is the worst-performing of all three on this ground. In six innings across three Tests, Rahane has scored only 55 runs at an average of 9.17, with the best score of 37.

The trio's overall records in England are not very great either.

Virat's overall record in England stands at 16 matches, 1,033 runs at an average of 33.32. He has scored two centuries and five fifties, with best score of 149. After a horror tour back in 2014, Virat bounced back in style during the 2018 tour to England, topping the run-charts with 593 runs in five matches, 10 innings at an average of 59.30, with two