Cricketing heavyweights Australia and India meet in the World Test Championship at The Oval in London, where the title of best Test team in the world is on the line.
These teams have qualified thanks to their results over the past two years and India will be determined to make up for their defeat to New Zealand in the inaugural WTC final in 2021.
For Australia, this game marks the start of an exciting summer in England. After Wednesday's WTC final (10.30am) the Aussies will head to Edgbaston for the first of five Ashes Test matches against rivals England and captain Pat Cummins would love to kick off that series as world Test champions.
- Australia to win the World Test Championship final
- Marnus Labuschagne top Australia first-innings batter
- Shubman Gill top India first-innings batter
- Pat Cummins top Australia first-innings bowler
- Travis Head to score a first-innings fifty
Depleted India Could Come Up Short
India have had a hold over Australia in recent Test showdowns, winning the last four series against the Aussies including a 2-1 home victory in February and March this year.
However, Australia battled back well in that series after two thumping defeats in the first two matches and they look worthy favourites for the one-off World Test Championship final at The Oval.
India won their last Test at Surrey's home ground in 2021 when Rohit Sharma's century set up a convincing victory over England but they had triumphed in only one of their previous 13 matches in south London.
Injuries to star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, brilliant wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and classy batters KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer will test the depth of India's squad while Australia should be fresh and focused at the start of their Ashes tour.
Steve Smith has been sensational in his last two Ashes series in England while Marnus Labuschagne is another run-machine and Usman Khawaja and Travis Head have cemented their places in the top order impressively.
Young all-rounder Cameron Green balances the side nicely and Cummins leads a top-class bowling attack who should relish early-season conditions at The Oval.
AUSTRALIA TO WIN THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
India without potent Bumrah
Labuschagne At Home In English Conditions
Steve Smith is an obvious favourite in the betting to be Australia's top first-innings batter but his fellow middle-order rock Marnus Labuschagne is worth supporting.
He made his name with a series of gutsy innings against England in the 2019 Ashes, scoring four fifties and 48 at The Oval from just seven knocks, and he has kicked on in style since.
Labuschagne averaged 53 against India in the home series of 2020/21 and signed off this year's away series with a gritty unbeaten 63 from 213 balls as Australia batted out for a draw in Ahmedabad.
He has warmed up for the WTC final and the Ashes with a characteristically prolific spell for Glamorgan in the County Championship, scoring 64, 65, 170 not out, 42, one and 138 in his last six innings, and he can extend that hot streak against India.
MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE TOP AUSTRALIAN BATTER FIRST-INNINGS
Gill Ready To Bring IPL Form
Modern cricketers have to be able to adapt to different formats and conditions in the blink of an eye so Shubman Gill should be trusted to transfer his spectacular Indian Premier League form into the Test arena.
With Rahul injured, Gill is likely to open the batting with India captain Rohit, and he will be full of confidence after a superb end to the IPL campaign for runners-up Gujarat Titans.
Gill's 39 off 20 balls in the final wasn't enough to deny Chennai Super Kings the trophy but his previous six IPL innings included three centuries and an unbeaten 94.
At the age of 23, with an ODI double-century under his belt already, he is set to establish himself in India's Test team and five of his 15 caps have come against Australia.
Gill's second-innings 91 helped India win the decisive fourth Test in Brisbane in January 2021 and he made 128, his second Test century, against the Aussies in the final Test of this year's series.
SHUBMAN GILL TOP INDIAN BATTER FIRST-INNINGS
Classy Gill to bring IPL form to Test arena
Cummins To Lead From The Front
Australia captain Pat Cummins had an outstanding Ashes series in England in 2019 and he can lead by example in the first innings of the WTC final.
Four years ago Cummins took seven wickets at Edgbaston, six at Lord's, four at Headingley, seven at Old Trafford and five at The Oval and he also demonstrated his love of the big occasion in the 2021/22 Ashes down under.
Appointed skipper shortly before the first Test in Brisbane, Cummins claimed 5-38 on day one of the series and finished up with 21 scalps in four matches.
He starts the WTC final with an excellent record of 217 wickets in 49 Tests and, with Josh Hazlewood sidelined until the Ashes, he looks the best-equipped of Australia's quick bowlers to shine in English conditions.
PAT CUMMINS TOP AUSTRALIAN BOWLER FIRST-INNINGS
Skipper Cummins will be crucial for the Aussies
Head To Showcase Attacking Strokeplay
Australia's injury problems on this year's tour of India meant Travis Head ended up opening the batting and he embraced the opportunity, scoring 49 not out in a low-scoring win in Indore and 32 and 90 in the drawn fourth Test in Ahmedabad.
Head will be back down at number five for the WTC final and he has plenty of success in the middle-order, scoring two centuries in the 2021/22 Ashes victory and making 99, 175, 38 not out, 92, nought, 51 and 70 in seven innings against the West Indies and South Africa during the last Australian summer.
The dynamic left-hander scores his runs rapidly – his 152 against England at the Gabba came from just 148 balls, with 14 fours and four sixes – and he is worth backing to reach 50 in the first innings at The Oval.
Head has racked up 13 fifties and five centuries in 57 innings for Australia and his increased confidence is reflected by a fine run of form since returning to the ODI team last year.
He averaged 63.9 in a dozen ODIs against England, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2022 and 2023 and, if Australia's top four can lay a solid foundation, he may well showcase his range of attacking shots against India's Test bowlers too.
TRAVIS HEDAD TO SCORE A FIRST-INNINGS FIFTY
