The 2023 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final was held at the Kennington Oval in England. In this crucial match between Australia and India, Australia, led by Pat Cummins, defeated India by a massive margin of 209 runs to claim their first-ever World Championship title in Test cricket. This marked India’s second consecutive loss in the WTC Final.
Toss and Australia’s First Innings: Travis Head’s Masterclass
Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field first. Although India started well on the first day, the partnership and twin centuries by Australian batsmen Travis Head (163) and Steve Smith (121) helped Australia post a big total. Australia scored 469 runs in their first innings.
| Batter | Run | Ball | 4 | 6 | Strike Rate | Dismissal |
| David Warner | 43 | 60 | 8 | 0 | 71.67 | c India b Shardul |
| Usman Khawaja | 13 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 130.00 | c India b Siraj |
| Marnus Labuschagne | 26 | 62 | 4 | 0 | 41.94 | b Siraj |
| Steve Smith | 121 | 268 | 19 | 0 | 45.14 | b Thakur |
| Travis Head | 163 | 174 | 25 | 1 | 93.68 | c India b Siraj |
| Cameron Green | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 85.71 | b Shami |
| Alex Carey (WK) | 48 | 62 | 7 | 0 | 77.41 | b Jadeja |
| Pat Cummins (C) | 9 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 26.47 | b Siraj |
| Mitchell Starc | 5 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 | c Kohli b Shami |
| Nathan Lyon | 9 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 36.00 | lbw b Siraj |
| Scott Boland | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 12.50 | not out |
- Extra Runs: 25 (Leg Byes 8, Wides 1, No Balls 16)
- Total: 469 Runs (10 Wickets, 121.3 Overs)
| Bowler | Over | Maiden | Run | Wicket | Economy |
| Mohammed Shami | 29 | 4 | 122 | 2 | 4.21 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 28.3 | 4 | 108 | 4 | 3.79 |
| Umesh Yadav | 23 | 0 | 77 | 0 | 3.33 |
| Shardul Thakur | 23 | 4 | 83 | 2 | 3.61 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 15 | 4 | 56 | 1 | 3.73 |
| Virat Kohli | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 7.50 |
India’s First Innings: Rahane and Shardul’s Fight
India came under pressure after the quick dismissals of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Cheteshwar Pujara. However, the resilience of Ajinkya Rahane (89) and Shardul Thakur (51) helped India avoid the follow-on. India scored 296 runs in their first innings.
| Batter | Run | Ball | 4 | 6 | Strike Rate | Dismissal |
| Rohit Sharma (C) | 15 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 57.69 | lbw b Cummins |
| Shubman Gill | 13 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 86.67 | b Boland |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | 14 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 56.00 | b Green |
| Virat Kohli | 14 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 45.16 | c Smith b Starc |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 48 | 51 | 7 | 0 | 94.11 | c Smith b Boland |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 89 | 129 | 11 | 1 | 68.99 | c Green b Starc |
| Srikar Bharat (WK) | 5 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 | b Cummins |
| Shardul Thakur | 51 | 109 | 6 | 0 | 46.79 | c Green b Green |
| Umesh Yadav | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | c Smith b Cummins |
| Mohammed Shami | 13 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 54.17 | not out |
| Mohammed Siraj | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | b Lyon |
- Extra Runs: 30 (Byes 10, Leg Byes 10, Wides 10)
- Total: 296 Runs (10 Wickets, 69.4 Overs)
| Bowler | Over | Maiden | Run | Wicket | Economy |
| Pat Cummins | 20 | 2 | 83 | 3 | 4.15 |
| Scott Boland | 20 | 5 | 59 | 2 | 2.95 |
| Mitchell Starc | 14 | 0 | 71 | 2 | 5.07 |
| Cameron Green | 10 | 2 | 44 | 2 | 4.40 |
| Nathan Lyon | 5.4 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 3.38 |
Australia’s Second Innings: A Difficult Target for India
With a 173-run lead from the first innings, Australia batted quickly in the second innings. Powered by Alex Carey (66 not out) and Marnus Labuschagne (41 not out), Australia declared their innings at 270 for 8, setting a massive target of 444 runs for India.
| Batter | Run | Ball | 4 | 6 | Strike Rate | Dismissal |
| David Warner | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 | c Gill b Siraj |
| Usman Khawaja | 13 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 41.93 | c Bharat b Umesh |
| Marnus Labuschagne | 41* | 106 | 4 | 0 | 38.68 | not out |
| Steve Smith | 34 | 47 | 3 | 0 | 72.34 | c Shardul b Jadeja |
| Travis Head | 18 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 66.67 | c Gill b Jadeja |
| Cameron Green | 25 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 92.59 | c Rohit b Jadeja |
| Alex Carey (WK) | 66* | 105 | 8 | 0 | 62.86 | not out |
Extra Runs: 16 (Byes 1, Leg Byes 13, No Balls 2)
Total: 270 Runs (8 Wickets Declared, 84.3 Overs)
India Bowling Scorecard (Second Innings)
| Bowler | Over | Maiden | Run | Wicket | Economy |
| Mohammed Shami | 15 | 3 | 41 | 1 | 2.73 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 15.3 | 1 | 52 | 1 | 3.34 |
| Umesh Yadav | 12 | 1 | 52 | 1 | 4.33 |
| Shardul Thakur | 4 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 3.75 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 25 | 6 | 58 | 3 | 2.32 |
| Virat Kohli | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3.50 |
India’s Second Innings and Australia’s Title Win: Boland’s Magic
Chasing a target of 444 runs, India faced the devastating bowling spell of Scott Boland (3/46) on the fifth day. The quick dismissals of Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli (49) sealed India’s defeat. India were eventually all-out for just 234 runs, and Australia won by 209 runs to take home the World Test Championship title.
| Batter | Run | Ball | 4 | 6 | Strike Rate | Dismissal |
| Rohit Sharma (C) | 43 | 60 | 7 | 0 | 71.67 | lbw b Lyon |
| Shubman Gill | 18 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 94.74 | c Green b Boland |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | 27 | 47 | 5 | 0 | 57.44 | c Carey b Boland |
| Virat Kohli | 49 | 78 | 7 | 0 | 62.82 | c Smith b Boland |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 46 | 108 | 7 | 0 | 42.59 | c Carey b Starc |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | c Carey b Starc |
| Srikar Bharat (WK) | 23 | 41 | 4 | 0 | 56.10 | b Lyon |
| Shardul Thakur | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | c Carey b Green |
| Umesh Yadav | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7.14 | c Carey b Starc |
| Mohammed Shami | 13 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 65.00 | not out |
| Mohammed Siraj | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | b Lyon |
- Extra Runs: 13 (Leg Byes 6, Wides 6, No Balls 1)
- Total: 234 Runs (10 Wickets, 70.2 Overs)
Australia Bowling Scorecard (Second Innings)
| Bowler | Over | Maiden | Run | Wicket | Economy |
| Pat Cummins (C) | 13 | 4 | 42 | 1 | 3.23 |
| Mitchell Starc | 10 | 2 | 77 | 3 | 7.70 |
| Scott Boland | 16 | 3 | 46 | 3 | 2.87 |
| Cameron Green | 6 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 2.16 |
| Nathan Lyon | 18.2 | 4 | 41 | 2 | 2.21 |
Match Result and Tournament Awards
| Result | Man of the Match | Most Runs in the Tournament | Most Wickets in the Tournament |
| Australia won by 209 runs | Travis Head | Marnus Labuschagne (1809 runs) | Nathan Lyon (83 wickets) |
Top 5 Moments of the 2023 WTC Final
- Travis Head’s Aggressive Century: When Indian bowlers were building pressure on the first day, Travis Head (163) counter-attacked aggressively, pairing up with Smith, and completely turning the match around. This was the main difference in the game.
- Ajinkya Rahane’s Comeback: Returning to the team after a long break, Rahane (89) performed brilliantly under pressure. Despite a hand injury, he helped India avoid the follow-on.
- Scott Boland’s Spell: Scott Boland’s spell on the morning of the fifth day was devastating. He quickly dismissed Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Virat Kohli, ending India’s last hopes of victory.
- Cameron Green’s Incredible Catch: Cameron Green’s unbelievable one-handed catch in the slips to dismiss Shubman Gill in the second innings was one of the tournament’s best moments.
- Smith and Labuschagne’s Resilience: Smith’s 121 in the first innings and Labuschagne’s unbeaten 41 in the second innings provided a solid foundation for Australia’s innings, paving the way for their victory.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where was the 2023 WTC Final held?
The final was held at The Oval (Kennington Oval) Stadium in London, England.
Who was the Man of the Match in this final?
Australian batsman Travis Head was named the Man of the Match for his innings of 163 in the first innings.
Which team was the 2023 WTC Champion?
Australia defeated India by 209 runs to win the World Test Championship title for the first time.
What was the duration of the WTC Final 2023?
The final was held from June 7 to June 11, 2023.
Who was the highest wicket-taker in this WTC cycle (2021–2023)?
Australian spinner Nathan Lyon was the highest wicket-taker in this WTC cycle with 83 wickets.
Your comment will appear immediately after submission.