While Team India are raring to go for the WTC final today, the wounds of 2021 WTC final still continue to haunt the team and the fans. The glimpses of the pitch shared on social media bring back the memories of the final of the inaugral edition of World Test Championship. The same kind of surface, with a equally dominant bowling lineup ,in the same English conditions make Indian fans a little worry about the outcome.

The 2021 WTC final was spoilt for the Indian team by Kyle Jamieson ,after rain played spoilsport for most of the first 3 days. It looked like the test match which eventually went on to the reserve day had decided it's fate in the first innings itself when most of the Indian batters had no answers to the swinging deliveries of Kiwi pacers. Barring Virat and Rahane, none other batters really got going. Eventually the result went against India. While last time it was New Zealand who broke hearts of billion fans, this time it is another country from Australian continent which stands in between India and the test mace.

The Aussies will try to avenge both, the BGT 2023 loss which preceded the IPL in Indian conditions, and the Gabba heroics from India which denied them a place in the 2021 WTC final. The most successful team in the history of world cups will try to make their mark in the test championship. Being one of the all time strongest test sides since the evolution of the game, Kangaroos would love to fill their cabinet with their first test mace now.

On the other hand , India would try to redeem the loss of last WTC final , subsequently ending Men in Blue's drought of ICC trophies since 2013. And this time, they do look a better team. While most of the batters for the team are the same one's who played in 2021 final, the primary difference is most of them getting back to form. Kohli and Gill look in fine touch, Cheteshwar Pujara has got going in the English conditions playing county and captaining Sussex, and Rahane is looking for a solid comeback after 16 long months.

India would definitely miss the likes of Bumrah and Rishabh Pant who played a crucial role in the 2021 Indian tour of England post the WTC final. Having Pant provides the team a hard hitting wicketkeeper who can switch gears and play T20 like cricket in test matches if required. And having Bumrah provides India the spearhead they eagerly want (also the quickfire batter who has a record for highest runs in an over in tests).

But nonetheless, India look a great team even without them. Siraj, Shami would be waiting for their turn to bowl on the Oval pitch. And the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma would love to pull the Australian short balls, which most of Aussies use as a weapon, into the stands. With a equipped batting, and an aggressive bowling, chances of both the team look fair. The only woes of Indian team lie in a one dimensional right handed top order, but that has still been tackled well by the batters.

All in all, the contest looks to be balanced, and one can hope for a match proving the level of these two champion teams. On one side, with Green back to form and Marnus and Labuschagne acclimatized to English conditions, Aussie team would try to ensure that the mace remains in Australian continent, and on the other the Indian team would try to redeem the last WTC final, to eventually owning this one and taking the mace back home. All eyes on the final now.