Australians step up their preparations
The Australian men’s cricket team has begun their preparations for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final and the Ashes series in the United Kingdom. They have set up their training center in South London to gear up for their first challenge against India in the WTC final at The Oval, starting on June 7.
While the team is focused on clinching their first WTC title, they are also aware of their poor record at The Oval, where they will begin their summer campaign. The Australians would have preferred to start at Lord’s instead of The Oval, considering their better performance at Lord’s over the years.
Australia has won 17 out of 39 matches at Lord’s, while their record at The Oval, where the Ashes rivalry originated, is not as impressive, with only seven wins out of 38 matches. Initially, the plan was to hold the WTC final at Lord’s when the championship was conceived in 2010. However, due to the delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the final was moved to Southampton’s Rose Bowl, which offered better bio-security arrangements for the teams.
Financial considerations and commercial conflicts led to Lord’s not hosting the final in 2023, and The Oval was chosen instead. As the Australian team prepares for their match against India at The Oval, the Indian players who were involved in the IPL Playoffs have also arrived in London to begin their preparations for the WTC final.
