India booked the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final berth without even winning the fourth Test against Australia in Ahmedabad on Monday (March 13). The fourth Test against Australia ended in a draw, but clinched the just concluded Border-Gavaskar series 2-1. New Zealand's last-ball victory against Sri Lanka proved blessing in disguise for India which determined Rohit Sharma's brigade's fortune for the WTC final.
Virat Kohli slammed his first Test century in more than three years, after Shubman Gill's sparkling 128, as India gave a perfect retort to Australia's first innings' total of 480 with a colossal 571 in the fourth Test. Just before the post-lunch session on the final day, Team India received a favourable news that Kane Williamson's cracking ton has sealed New Zealand's thrilling two-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Christchurch, which helped India make it to their second successive WTC final which will be played at the Oval from June 7 to June 11.
But India's head coach Rahul Dravid played down the hype around WTC final against Australia as he said that he wasn't counting his chickens before they hatched. However he termed it a challenge and said that the team would have to plan it for the mega show.
"We just qualified at lunchtime today. I wasn't counting my chickens before they hatched. We'll celebrate this for starters," Dravid said after the Test match.
"It is going to be a challenge. There's going to be a lot of logistics involved given the IPL final is only a week before the WTC final. We'll think about it." The WTC final will be played at The Oval in London from June 7-11, while the IPL ends on June 1.
While talking about the fourth Test, Dravid looked impressed by the way India launched a fight back from the situation of adversity.
"Whenever we were under pressure with our backs to the wall we had to respond and we always found that. It's one of the heartening things about coaching this team," Dravid told the official broadcaster Star Sports.
"Rohit led the way in the first Test with a brilliant hundred and it was bookended by Virat Kohli's brilliant 186. In the middle we had performances from (Ravichandran) Ashwin, (Ravindra) Jadeja, Axar (Patel), Shubman there. I've probably missed out a few. I think our fight stood out, he added.
After winning the first two Tests, India had to suffer a nine-wicket defeat in the third Test as all the three Tests were wrapped inside three days due to rank turner pitched. But the fourth Test offered a good batting pitch in Ahmedabad which saw four centuries overall from both the teams. Usman Khawaja (180) and Cameron Green (114), Virat Kohli (186) and Shubman Gill (128) were the centurions of the fourth Test.
"It was a really hard-fought series, there were moments where we were put under extreme pressure by a really good cricket team and we responded. Whenever we needed someone to step up and put in a special performance, we found it," he said.
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