The World Test Championship Final will see the two heavyweights in India and Australia lock horns for the ultimate prize in test cricket from June 7 at The Oval in London.
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.
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For Australia, they'll be making their maiden appearance in the final, having put together a strong qualifying campaign to cement their place.
A brief history of The Oval
The Oval, currently known as the Kia Oval due to sponsorship reasons, is an iconic international cricket ground located in the Kennington area of South London. It has served as the home ground for Surrey County Cricket Club since its establishment in 1845.
With a rich history spanning over 175 years, The Oval has witnessed numerous significant cricket matches and memorable moments. It hosted the first-ever Test match on English soil, which took place between England and Australia in 1880. This match is widely recognized as the birth of Test cricket.
It has a seating capacity of around 25,500 spectators and is known for its distinctive gasometer, which is a notable feature of the ground.
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How has India fared at The Oval in Test matches?
India played its first test match at The Oval back in 1936 against the hosts England. They were second-best in every department and lost the match by nine wickets.
Vijay Merchant & Mushtaq Ali scored gritty fifties in the first innings whereas, Dilawar (54) Hussain and C.K. Nayadu (81) shone in the second innings.
The next two test matches in 1946 & 1952 were drawn but England won the fourth in 1959 by an innings and 27 runs.
It took India 35 years to win their first test match in this venue. Under the leadership of Ajit Wadekar, India beat England by four wickets. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar picked six wickets in the second innings to restrict the Three Lions to just 101.
Chasing 172, India lost Sunil Gavaskar for a duck and Akshok Mankad for just 11. However, against the odds, Wadekar (45) and Dilip Sardesai (40) strung a partnership which helped India stage a fight back. After the duo was dismissed Gundappa Viswanath and Farokh Engineer dug deep and ensured India went over the line.
Interestingly, it remained India's only victory at The Oval until 2021, when Virat Kohli's, Men in Blue thumped the hosts by 157 runs. Rohit Sharma was adjudged the Man of the Match for his 127 runs in the second innings which helped India post 466 on the board. Later, the pacers, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, joined the party to bowl out England for just 210.
India have 14 test matches at The Oval winning just two. Five of them have been won by England while the rest have been drawn.
| Date | Winner | Margin |
| August 15-18, 1936 | England | 9 wickets |
| August 17-20, 1946 | Draw | - |
| August 14-19, 1952 | Draw | - |
| August 20-24, 1959 | England | Innings & 27 runs |
| August 19-24, 1971 | India | 4 wickets |
| August 30 - September 4, 1979 | Draw | - |
| July 8-13, 1982 | Draw | - |
| August 23-28, 1990 | Draw | - |
| September 5-9, 2002 | Draw | - |
| August 9-13, 2007 | Draw | - |
| August 18-22, 2011 | England | Innings & 8 runs |
| August 15-17, 2014 | England | Innings & 244 runs |
| September 7-11, 2018 | England | 118 runs |
| September 2-6, 2021 | India | 157 runs |
