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Team India lost the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the second time in a row after Australia condemned them to a 209-run loss at The Oval in London on Sunday, June 11. Chasing a target of 444 runs for victory, the Indian team were dismissed for 234 runs in the very first session of Day 5.
In doing so, for the second time in a row, India lost their chance to become the best in the Test format.
They were defeated by New Zealand in 2021. Both times, India were downed by selection errors and interestingly, both times R Ashwin was at the centre of the selection furore. At first, a mistake was made by selecting him, and the second time, they failed by not choosing him in the Playing XI.
What went wrong with Team India's selection in 2021?
When Team India played the WTC final against New Zealand, three pacers and two spinners were started in the playing XI. Ashwin was chosen alongside Ravindra Jadeja but this worked against them.
It was cloudy in Edgbaston and the rain played a major factor in this match. The conditions were helpful for the fast bowlers, and India went ahead with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma. On the bench, they had Mohammad Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav as alternatives for a fourth pacer. But all three of them were kept on the bench.
In contrast, the Kiwis had four pacers in the form of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson. They also had Colin de Grandhomme in the Playing XI. Kane Williamson's team played with five seamers and got an advantage immediately.
What mistake did India make in the WTC final 2023
This time, the Team India management were defeated on the first day when they chose not to play R Ashwin. Captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bowl first. He went with four pacers on an Oval pitch that favoured spinners. Australia had four left-handed batters and Ashwin could have made a difference, and this cost India dearly.
Jadeja, India's only spinner in the WTC final, managed four wickets across two innings. Had Ashwin been there, Australia's score would have been much lower. At the same time, Australia fielded an off-spinner in Nathan Lyon. He took five wickets in the match, including four in the second innings, and the final wicket of the match which gave Australia the coveted WTC mace.
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