Any contest between India and Australia in international cricket often turns out to be a box-office affair and the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final promises to be another of those iconic contests between the two cricketing powerhouse. India and Australia first played a Test match against each other in 1947. The Baggy Greens were a far superior and more experienced team at the time. As a result, India ended up losing the match and the series. India's first Test victory against Australia came in 1959 at home when they registered a win in Kanpur. India registered their first Test series win against Australia in 1979-80.
Overall, the two teams have locked horns in 106 Test matches and Australia boasts a dominant record. The Baggy Greens have won 44 Tests when compared to India's 32 Test wins. A total of 29 matches ended in a draw while one contest was a tie.
When the two teams last squared off against each other in a Test match, the contest ended in a draw.
It will be for the first time in two decades that India and Australia will lock horns in an ICC tournament final. The last time these two sides locked horns in an ICC final was in 2003 when Australia defeated India in the ODI World Cup final. The 2023 WTC final will be played between June 7 and June 11 at The Oval, London.
India finished runners-up in the last edition of WTC as they lost the final against New Zealand. This time, Rohit Sharma's brigade would look to cross the final hurdle and end their ICC trophy drought.
Having said that, India is staring at a herculean task of not only beating a team that consists of world-class players and plays great cricket as a cohesive unit but also conquering a hostile territory where success has been far and few over the years.
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