ICC World Test Championship Final 2023: Players to Watch

The highly anticipated final between Australia and India gets underway on Wednesday at The Oval in England. India will be eager to win this year’s edition after losing to New Zealand in last year’s final. We look at the players to watch for the 2023 World Test Championship final.

Marnus Labuschagne (Australia)

The South African-born Marnus Labuschagne has been integral to Australia’s Test side since making his debut in 2018. The number 3 position is vital for any side, and Labuschagne would walk into most Test teams in that position.

He had his struggles when Australia toured India earlier this year and will be eager to show the world why he’s ranked number one in the ICC Men’s Test Rankings. Labuschagne played in the County championship for Glamorgan recently and smashed 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries in 8 innings, so he’ll be coming into this match in relatively good form.

Cameron Green (Australia)

Cameron Green is quickly becoming one of the best all-rounders in world cricket in all formats of the game. He was brilliant in the IPL for the Mumbai Indians with both bat and ball, scoring 452 runs at an average of 50.22 including a century. He’ll bring balance to this Australian side as he can bowl with pace and is more than decent with the bat.

Mohammed Shami (India)

With the absence of Jasbrit Bumrah, Shami will be crucial to India’s chances of winning this game, especially in English conditions. He’s a dangerous bowler with both the new and old ball. His accuracy and ability to swing the ball both ways will make him a dangerous proposition for the Australian batsmen.

He had a brilliant IPL 2023 season for the eventual winners Gujarat Titans, finishing as the competition’s leading wicket-taker (28 wickets). Shami and Mohammed Siraj will have to play a big role for their side while the spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin might not be as effective at The Oval.

Shubman Gill (India)

Another player who had a brilliant IPL campaign, Shubman Gill will be a key player for India in this game. He ended the season as the leading runscorer, with 890 runs which included 3 centuries at an average of 59.33. In his previous game against the Aussies, he scored a century (128) earlier this year and will take a lot of confidence from that innings.

He played in the 2021 final against New Zealand and came up against a quality Kiwi attack. He would have learned a lot from that game and comes in a much better player and in the form of his life.

Centuries in all three formats including a world record double hundred in ODIs, and three tons in IPL 2023 to go with the second-most runs (890) in a single edition of the tournament are a testament to that fact.