WTC Final 2023, IND vs AUS: India's road to the summit clash

The Indian cricket team has secured a spot in the final of the second edition of the World Test Championships, set to take place on June 7, 2023, at the Oval in London, England. This comes after their defeat in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2021, where they were bested by New Zealand.

However, the journey to this final was far from straightforward, with numerous twists and turns occurring after each series. Following their loss to New Zealand in the previous edition, India began their journey in the second edition with a series against England.

The first game at Nottingham resulted in a draw, despite England being bowled out for 183 in the first innings. Joe Root's century in the second innings was not enough to secure a win. However, India dominated in the second Test, with Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Burmah, and Ishant Sharma delivering a crushing blow to the England batters, bowling them out for 120 in the second innings and winning the Test by 151 runs.

In the third Test, James Anderson's impressive spell dismissed India for 78 in the first innings. England went on to score 432, and then bowled India out for 278, winning the match by an innings and 76 runs. India bounced back in the fourth Test, winning by a significant margin of 157 runs.

However, it was the fifth and final Test that caused controversy. India decided to leave the series before the Manchester Test due to a Covid-19 outbreak. The ECB was understandably upset, but ultimately could not do much. It was later decided that India would play the match in 2022 during their limited-over series in England.

At the time of the fifth Test, Joe Root had relinquished his role as England's Test captain. Meanwhile, Brendon McCullum and his Bazball were making waves in the cricketing world as a game-changing force. This proved to be true as England emerged victorious over India by seven wickets, leveling the series at 2-2 after India had previously held a 2-1 lead.

Draw New Zealand at home

Following their 2-1 lead over England, India returned to the pitch to face off against the reigning WTC Champions, New Zealand. In a strategic move, Virat Kohli requested rest and Ajinkya Rahane was appointed captain. Despite high expectations for an Indian triumph, the Blackcaps demonstrated their tenacity and managed to secure a draw in the second game held in Kanpur, following their loss in Mumbai.

Loss against South Africa

Virat Kohli's team had high hopes of winning the series and securing a spot in the World Test Championship final. However, their aspirations were cut short as they faced a sudden turn of events in the second Test. Despite winning the first Test by a significant margin of 113 runs, the team was unable to maintain their momentum in the second Test. Dean Elgar's exceptional performance led his team to chase down 243 runs with seven wickets in hand, leaving India in a precarious position.

Although the series was tied at 1-1, India still had a chance to clinch the trophy. However, their hopes were dashed once again by the brilliance of one player. Rishabh Pant's century was the only highlight of the game, as India was bowled out for a mere 198 runs in the second innings. South Africa, on the other hand, managed to chase down the target of 212 runs with ease, thanks to Keegan Petersen's impressive knock of 83 runs.

Following this series loss, Virat Kohli, who had already faced immense pressure after losing the T20 World Cup and World Test Championships Final in the same year, was asked to step down from his role as India's captain. Rohit Sharma was named as the new all-format captain, marking a significant change in the team's leadership.

Series wins against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

Rohit Sharma's first assignment as Test captain was leading India in their home Test series against Sri Lanka. The Lankan Lions were defeated 2-0, with Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant standing out as exceptional batters for India.

In December, India toured Bangladesh, albeit not with their full-strength squad. KL Rahul was appointed as skipper, and India won the first Test by a massive margin of 188 runs. However, in the second game, Bangladesh spinners, particularly Taijul Islam, put up a fight.

India found themselves in a precarious position, with a target of 144 runs to chase and a score of 74/7. A defeat at this point would have been a bitter pill to swallow. However, Ravichandran Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer stepped up to the plate, and India pulled off a remarkable three-wicket victory at Dhaka, sealing the series 2-0 and moving up in the WTC points table.

Series draw against Australia and little help from New Zealand

In order for India to secure a spot in the WTC 2023 final without relying on other results, they needed to win the series by a margin of 3-0 or 3-1 at the very least. Conversely, Australia simply needed to avoid a 0-4 defeat. After India's impressive performances in the first two Tests, it seemed as though Australia was destined for a clean sweep. However, the Rohit Sharma-led team was stunned by their nine-wicket loss in Indore, following their victories in Nagpur and Delhi.

The fourth Test in Ahmedabad was a must-win for India, as a Sri Lanka series win against New Zealand would have spelled disaster for their WTC 2023 hopes. Although they were unable to secure a victory in the fourth Test, India ultimately clinched their spot in the final after the Kiwis battled it out and successfully chased down 285 on the last day of the first Test.

Overall, India's journey to the WTC 2023 final was a rollercoaster ride filled with ups and downs. Despite facing unexpected setbacks, they ultimately emerged victorious and secured their place in the highly anticipated final.

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