The toss plays a very important role in the sport of cricket as it gives the team winning the toss an advantage most of the time. In high-pressure matches and the conditions favorable for either batting or bowling, the value increases of winning the toss as then you can decide what to do and take advantage of the conditions.
In the upcoming World Test Championship 2023 Final between India and Australia at the Oval, the toss will be very crucial as the team winning the toss will surely be ahead in the match. The reason for the same is the unpredictable weather of England where anything can happen.
Teams prefer batting first at this venue because the pitch here is a good track for the batters. Overcast conditions might help the bowlers a bit here but the assistance from the pitch is minimal. It is one of the very few grounds in England where the wicket gets slow as the match progresses and hence spinners will also have a role to play here.
Out of 105 test matches, teams batting first have won 38 matches whereas the teams bowling first have won just 29. Rohit and Cummins both will be eyeing to put runs on the board first because if they manage to bat well and post a good total on the board, the opposition will be in deep trouble.
The average first-inning score here in test matches is 343 runs whereas it drops down to 304 runs in the second inning. The pitch is best for batting on the first two days, and that will prove to be a big factor for both teams in deciding what to do after winning the toss.
The final match of the 2023 WTC cycle is expected to be a cracker of a game with both teams looking in great shape and being each other’s arch-rivals.
