WTC Final 2023: All right at the top for India? Ashwin a left-field choice?

Australia will be looking to add to their enviable collection of world titles as they face off against India at the Oval on June 7. India, on the other hand, will be desperate to break their barren run in ICC events which has now lasted for a decade. India have dominated Australia in the recent past winning each of the four series between the two teams by a similar 2-1 margin, though the latter would take solace from the fact that the record in the first Test of these four rubbers is a more even 2-2. Here's a look into some key factors that could prove decisive in the final showdown.

An atypical Kennington Oval Test

The second oldest Test ground in the world and a ground that has hosted no less than 104 Tests will be doing so in the month of June for the first time ever. In the last six Tests at the Oval (since 2016), the average team scores have followed a peculiar pattern of growth as the match progresses. The average first innings score is 269 which increases to 280 in the second innings and then inflates to a highest of 326 in the third innings. In terms of day-wise averages, batters average 28.26 on the first day which increases to 31.70 on the second, and further rises to 32.18 on the third. It reads a more than respectable 30.21 on the fourth day further underlying how batting gets easier as the match progresses.