After sustaining a 209-run loss in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2023) final at the hands of Australia, India captain Rohit Sharma questioned the scheduling and venue of the ICC event. This was the second time India lost in the final of the WTC, first being in the inaugural edition in 2021.
This was a humiliating loss for the no.1 ranked Indian team as they conceded 469 runs in first innings despite winning the toss thanks to centuries from Travis Head and Steve Smith. In response, India could only muster 296 runs after Ajinkya Rahane made 89 and Shardul Thakur slammed 51 runs.
Australia declared their second innings on 270/8 with Alex Carey making 66* and India couldn’t put much of a fight when their top four were comprised early and were dismissed for 234 runs to lose the final by 209 runs, making Australia the first team ever to win all the ICC trophies.
Asked whether a WTC final will always be trickier to handle because it takes place after the IPL, Rohit said it didn’t have to be that way.
“Why after the IPL final? Why cannot it be March? June is not the only month we should play the final. It can be played any time of the year and anywhere in the world, not just in England, it can be played anywhere in the world,” Rohit said at the post-final presser.
India had little time to adjust to England this time because they arrived directly from the IPL; in particular, Rohit commented about his bowlers’ need for more time to practise and adjust to Test cricket.
“I want to see where the next WTC final is being played as well. That depends where we play, based on that we will decide what sort of players we want to get ready and what kind of cricket we want to play,” he added.
It is obviously difficult with a calendar that is now overbooked to determine where and when the WTC final will be staged if not in England. Finding a new window and, possibly, altering the international cycle as determined by the Future Tours Programme (FTP) last year would be necessary if the tour was moved away from June.
A Three-Match Series Would Be Nice: Rohit Sharma On ICC WTC Finals
Along with Virat Kohli, who was India captain when they were defeated in the previous final, and more recently David Warner, Rohit lent his voice to the clamor for the final to be played as a best-of-three series.
“I would love that [a three-match final]. But is there a time? That’s the big question. Honestly, in a big event like this you need to have fair opportunities for both the teams.
A three-match series would be nice but it’s about finding that window, where it can fit in. An event like this you work hard for two years and then you only have one shot at it. It’s not really – you cannot get into that momentum that you need in Test cricket. Test cricket is all about finding that rhythm, finding that momentum as well. I think yeah, if in the next cycle if it is possible, three-match series would be ideal,” Rohit said.