The cricket world is gearing up for the highly anticipated World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and Australia, which is scheduled to be held at The Oval in London from June 7 to June 11. The reserve day, June 12, has also been kept in place to ensure that the match is not affected by any unforeseen circumstances.
The Oval will be a neutral venue in every sense as the conditions are not close to what they get back home, and the ball too will be different from what they use in their respective home seasons.
India’s skipper Rohit Sharma is well aware of the challenge that the Dukes ball presents, and has made preparations accordingly. During the post-match press conference after the Ahmedabad Test, Rohit said that “some Duke balls” will be sent to WTC-bound bowlers.
“We are sending some Duke balls to all fast bowlers, and if they get some time to bowl with that, but again it all depends on individuals. Guys who will be part of the final are not the guys who have not played in the UK, and maybe one or two guys here and there, and rest all of us have played in that part of the world. I don’t think it will be a huge problem. But yeah, look I believe in preparation, and preparations will be key for us come the final,” Rohit had said after the drawn fourth Test vs Australia last month.
Although India typically uses SG balls for their home fixtures and Australia uses the Kookaburra, the International Cricket Council (ICC) uses the ball of choice of the host country for all ICC events, including the World Test Championship (WTC) final. In this instance, England is the host country, and they use the Dukes ball. The WTC final between India and New Zealand in England last year was also played with the Dukes ball.
While both teams will be looking to put their best foot forward in the WTC final, the unpredictable English weather could also play a significant role in the outcome of the match. The reserve day has been kept in place to ensure that the match is not affected by rain or any other unforeseen circumstances.
