WTC Final: Pujara’s insights invalubale for India to counter The Oval pitch, Steve Smith, says Gavaskar

The upcoming ICC mega finale between two of the best Test teams in this WTC 2021-23 Cycle will be played at The Oval between June 7 and 11. The experts have started analysing the technical and environmental challenges that lie ahead of Team India in London as most of the Indian players were busy with the IPL 2023, playing T20s.

In an exclusive interview with Star Sports ‘Follow the Blues,’ former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has thrown some light on the subtle technical adjustments Rohit & his teammates will need to make for the upcoming WTC final. WTC Final: Ravi Shastri explains India’s significant rise in Test cricket after claiming no. 1 rank

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Highlighting the transition from the fast-paced T20 format to the more controlled bat speed required in test cricket, Gavaskar – who is one of the greatest Test batters of all time – emphasised the importance of bat speed control for the Indian batters. He also emphasised the need for batsmen to play as late as possible in English conditions, allowing for swing and avoiding the mistake of reaching out for the ball.

Gavaskar, the former India captain, noted the technical changes that the Indian batter would have to make playing in the WTC final, and said, “I think they are going to look at their bat speed. Coming from T20 where the bat speed is very fast to test cricket where the bat speeds got to be a lot more controlled, that is something they’ll need to do.

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“They’ll need to play in England as late as possible to allow for the swing to do its bit, not to reach out for the ball which often a lot of people make the mistake of having played on good pitches. Wherever you play on good pitches, you tend to play through the line, not necessarily half volleys, but in England, those deliveries can move just that little bit.

So, I think those are the things that as a batter you need to watch out for. As a bowling unit also you’ll need to bowl a much fuller length for your new ball, for the bowlers to be able to get the movement in the air as well as after pitching.” WTC Final: Match officials for India vs Australia ‘Ultimate Test’ announced – Kettleborough again in list

Highlighting the challenges Team India would face playing in English conditions, the legendary batter claimed the overcast conditions and lack of sunlight in England tends to impact the performance of batters from subterranean and sub-tropical nations like West Indies, India, and Sri Lanka. Gavaskar also suggested teams should play some warm-up games before the real challenge begins in English conditions.

Importance of Cheteshwar Pujara in WTC Final 2023

Gavaskar said on Star Sports, “I think the English conditions are challenging because firstly we are used to playing with the sun on our backs. When you are playing in England, often you are playing in conditions where there is no sun, it’s a little overcast, and the weather is a little bit cooler, so you sometimes wear a jumper.

“That’s something that you know, the Indian player, West Indian players and Sri Lankan players are not really used to so that can be just a little bit of a dampener, a little sort of light but you just feel a little bit encumbered by that. WTC Final: Joe Root, Trent boult react as Yashasvi Jaiswal posts picture with Rohit Sharma on London flight

“So, that is one thing and because in these conditions the ball tends to swing in the air not just after pitching which doesn’t happen in India and therefore the swing in the air is what sometimes can take you some time to get used to and which is a reason people generally when you are going overseas suggest that you should maybe play two or three warm-up matches, which will give you a better idea of what to get when you are playing in a Test match.”

While discussing the challenges of playing in English conditions, including the overcast weather and swing in the air, aspects unfamiliar to Indian, West Indian, and Sri Lankan players, Gavaskar claimed the valuable insights shared by Cheteshwar Pujara, having experienced the conditions at The Oval, could prove helpful to the team.

Pujara’s knowledge and captaincy experience in the ongoing County Second Division tournament, his inputs could prove invaluable for the team, especially against Australia’s batting mainstay Steve Smith.

Speaking about Pujara getting acclimatised to the English conditions, Gavaskar said “The fact that he is been around will mean that he will have also seen how the pitch has been behaving at The Oval. He might not have played at The Oval, but he was in Sussex (which is) not too far away from London.”

“He will have kept an eye on what is happening and his inputs will be invaluable as far as the batting unit is concerned or even as far as the captaincy is concerned. He will have the captains here as far as the Oval pitch is concerned and don’t forget he has also captained the team, so he definitely will have worked out quite a few strategies seeing that Steve Smith, the Australian is his teammate at the moment,” Gavaskar concluded.

ICC World Test Championship between India and Australia will be played between June 7 and 11th June. It will be available LIVE & Exclusive on the Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar in India.