India win toss, opt to field first in WTC final title clash against Australia

London: Indian skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field first in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at the Oval in London on Wednesday.

The Indian Test team is set to face Australia in one of the games that could define their legacy and the prowess they have gained in the recent time as they made their way into the World Test Championship 2023 final by defying the odds.
After the toss, Rohit Sharma said, “We are going to bowl. The conditions and also the weather being overcast. The pitch won’t change too much. Four seamers and one spinner. The spinner is Jadeja. It’s always tough (to leave Ashwin), he’s been a match-winner. He (Rahane) brings a lot of experience, he’s played 80-odd Tests.”

Pat Cummins also said, “We would have bowled as well. Hopefully day four and five, there’s a bit of spin. You think it suits his bowling, he’ll be a key weapon. We’ve been here for about 10 days. Pretty fresh, weather has been nice, we haven’t missed a session.”

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.

Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.