Whoever adjusts and adapts better will win the match: Virat Kohli
Jun 06, 2023
New Delhi [India], June 7 : India's ace cricketer Virat Kohli reflected on the challenges the Oval pitch will bring in front of the cricketers as well as the need to adapt on a tricky surface.
The Indian Test team will square off against Australia. The match will begin at 3 pm IST from June 7 till June 11 at the Oval, London, a reserve day is also in place if the weather intervenes to spoil the sport.
Ahead of the final, in a recent interview with Star Sports on 'Follow the Blues,' Kohli emphasized the significance of adaptability ahead of the crucial match at The Oval.
The former captain acknowledged the challenges posed by the pitch and urged his team to approach the game with caution and focus. Kohli emphasized the need for experience and flexibility to suit the conditions, emphasizing that one cannot rely on past expectations of the pitch.
With only one match in a neutral venue, he highlighted the importance of adaptation as the key determinant of victory. As the World Test Championship unfolds, the absence of home advantage adds to the excitement, making it a compelling contest to witness how both teams navigate the situation at hand.
Speaking exclusively to Star Sports on 'Follow the Blues', India batsman and former captain Virat Kohli highlighted the importance of adapting to the situation at The Oval, he said "I think The Oval will be challenging, we won't get a flat wicket and batters need to be cautious. We will need to concentrate on our focus and discipline. So you need to have the experience to play as per the conditions and we cannot go in with the expectation that The Oval pitch will play as it always has. So we have to adjust and adapt, we have only one match in a neutral venue so whoever adapts better will win the match. This is the beauty of the World Test Championship, two neutral teams with no home advantage, so it will be very exciting to see how both teams adapt to the situation."
India's squad for WTC final: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (wk).
Suryakumar Yadav, Mukesh Kumar and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been named as stand-by players for the high-stakes match.
Australia squad for WTC final: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David WarnerStandby players: Mitch Marsh, and Matthew Renshaw.