India will be playing their 2nd successive final in the World Test Championship (WTC) as they gear up to face Australia in the finals from 7th June 2023. The Rohit Sharma led side will be hoping to win this one as they had lost their last final against New Zealand in 2021.
Australia on the other hand, finished at the top of the WTC points table and would be hoping to exercise their dominant muscles against India. They boast of some formidable players in the form of Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschange, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
The entire cricketing world will be glued to their screen from 7th June as the match will be taking place at The Oval.
In this article, we take a look at 3 weaknesses in the Australian squad for the WTC finals which will be taking place at The Oval:
1. Australia will be low on confidence as their recent record against India isn’t good
Australia have lost the last 5 Test series against the mighty Indians and that can severely dent their confidence. In fact, India have defeated Australia in Australia in the last 2 times they have travelled Down Under.
Confidence plays a big role in a high-voltage final and this could be a big weakness for Australia in the WTC final.
2. Lack of quality in spinners
One of the main reasons why Australia couldn’t win the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023 was because they were overtly dependent on two spinners in the form of Todd Murphy and Nathan Lyon.
Even though England is a country where swing favours more, if it is sunny on 7th June 2023, then spinners could be drafted into the playing XI. If the heat persists and the sunny conditions prevail, then the spinners could play a predominant role in the WTC finals.
3. Lack of stability in the opening pair
The opening pair of Australia has proved to be their Achilles Heels in recent times. With only Usman Khawaja performing up to the standards, this could prove to be a major threat for the 5-time ODI World Cup winners.
David Warner had suffered a hairline fracture in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023 and had missed the entire series after the 1st Test. Travis Head was the backup opener and he faired decent.
Even though he had an average of 47.00 in the Test series in 3 games, he is not likely to open the innings. David Warner will be partnering Usman Khawaja and he will be hoping to give some solid starts to Australia.
Also read: WTC Finals IND vs AUS 2023: 3 Weaknesses In The Indian Team
