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.

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The fixture at The Oval, which starts on Wednesday, marks the culmination of a two-year qualifying process.

AFP Sport looks at three key battles that could determine the course of the showpiece match.

Steve Smith v Cheteshwar Pujara

Several members of Australia's squad acclimatised to English conditions ahead of the final with stints at county sides but India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara found himself captaining fellow number three Steve Smith during the Australia star's brief stint with Sussex.

Pujara, 35, enjoyed a purple patch for Sussex that included three hundreds in six innings in April and May, while the highest score Smith could manage was 89.

Smith, however, has a superb Test record at the Oval, averaging nearly 98, with two hundreds in three matches.

No wonder the 34-year-old described the Oval is "a wonderful place to play cricket in".

"Lightning-fast outfield, the square goes the whole way across the ground so it is a nice place to bat when you get in and has some decent pace and bounce for an English surface," he said.

Pujara, unlike Smith, is now a one-format player, such is the strength of India's limited-overs sides, but his patient method of accumulating runs could prove valuable against a powerful Australia pace attack.

"Certainly we've had conversations with Puji, obviously about batting, but he also leads Sussex so he's got a good handle on tactics and strategy," said India coach Rahul Dravid.

Pat Cummins v Mohammed Shami

Australia captain Pat Cummins and rival India paceman Mohammed