The World Test Championship Final is nearly upon us.
Beginning on June 7 at The Oval in London, two years of Test match action will come down to five days of cricket (or possibly six, should the reserve day be required).
India will be contesting the decider for the second time, hoping to go one better than the inaugural tournament which saw them lose to New Zealand in the final.
MORE: Everything you need to know about WTC Final
For Australia, they'll be making their maiden appearance in the big dance, having put together a strong qualifying campaign to cement their place.
Here's how both sides are set to line up.
Australia WTC Final confirmed XI
- David Warner
- Usman Khawaja
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steve Smith
- Travis Head
- Cameron Green
- Alex Carey (wk)
- Pat Cummins (c)
- Mitchell Starc
- Nathan Lyon
- Scott Boland
Australian cricket team news
Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the match with a lingering Achilles injury, opening the door for Scott Boland to come into the side and Michael Neser to join the 15-man squad.
Veteran opener David Warner has been under pressure after a tough series in India, while his record in England doesn't inspire much confidence.
We'd still be surprised if the selectors opt for Marcus Harris or Matthew Renshaw in his place, meaning Warner will open with Usman Khawaja.
The middle-order basically picks itself, with Travis Head locking himself in with strong performances after being left out of the first Test in India and Cameron Green showing solid form in the IPL.
Alex Carey had a series to forget with the bat in India but his glovework was tidy and should keep his place.
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India WTC Final predicted XI
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Shubman Gill
- Cheteshwar Pujara
- Virat Kohli
- Ajinkya Rahane
- Ravindra Jadeja
- KS Bharat (wk)
- R Ashwin
- Umesh Yadav
- Mohammed Shami
- Mohammed Siraj
Indian cricket team news
While Australia may have few fitness concerns, the same can't be said for India.
Skipper Rohit Sharma will be without Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer for the WTC Final.
Paceman Jaydev Unadkat could join them on the sidelines after he was injured in an unfortunate training accident while on IPL duty.
See you back on the field soon @JDUnadkat
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 1, 2023
Wishing a quick recovery to the left-arm pacer 👍🏻👍🏻#TATAIPL | #LSGvRCB pic.twitter.com/w57d7DMadN
KL Rahul also limped off the field with a thigh injury and may not recover in time for the final.
With Rohit and Shubman Gill at the top of the order, we expect Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli to follow them.
Whether India opts for another batter in English conditions will be the biggest question mark.
If they do, Ajinkya Rahane could earn his first cap since early 2022.
Alternatively, Ravindra Jadeja has proven he can bat as high as five in Test cricket with no issues, potentially opening the door for Axar Patel to give them another spin option.
Ravichandran Ashwin's spot is safe, while seamers Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj can expect to be in the XI, leaving Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur to fight for the final place in the seam attack.
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WTC Final 15-man squads
AUSTRALIA
Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner
INDIA
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan
