The World Test Championship (WTC) finals will be played between India and Australia at The Oval. The match is scheduled to kick-start from 7th June 2023.
While India has named a pretty solid squad boasting of some formidable players, Australia too have some incredible powerhouses in their side. From Steve Smith, David Warner to Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, Australia looks extremely potent.
Leading their batting department, Steve Smith will be one of the players to watch out for in the Australian squad. With oodles of experience under his belt and his astute cricketing brain, Steve Smith can be a force to reckon with in the WTC finals.
In this article, we take a look at 3 reasons why Steve Smith might pose as a threat to the Indian cricket team:
1. Steve Smith played County Cricket before the finals
In a bid to gear up for the swing friendly conditions in England, Steve Smith played County Cricket for Sussex in the County Championship. Steve Smith got acclimatized to the conditions and played pretty well in the matches over there.
In the game between Sussex and Glamorgan, Steve Smith scored a top-notch knock of 89 runs in 183 balls. Steve Smith played patiently and showed as to why he is one of the best Test players in the world presently.
2. He has an exceptional average in Test cricket
One of the doyens in the Test format in contemporary cricket, Steve Smith can be a big threat to India’s bid of winning their first international event since the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.
The 33-year-old cricketer has a stupendous average of 59.8 in Test cricket and has played 96 Test matches so far. He has been the captain of Australia before and knows Test cricket inside out.
3. Steve Smith is fresh for the Test match
While all the Indians were playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, some players like Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith and Pat Cummins were silently preparing for the WTC finals. This could well be another reason as to why Australia can win the title instead of India.
Smith is mentally prepared for the longest format of the game and he doesn’t have to make that drastic switch from T20 cricket to Test cricket. His stint with Sussex and his ability to learn quickly makes him a huge threat for Rohit Sharma and co. in the upcoming WTC finals.
Also read: 3 Reasons Why Rohit Sharma Can Have A Good WTC Final
