ICC World Test Championship Final 2021-23 to be held from June 7-11 at Oval | ICC WTC Points Table: The second edition of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship will see its Final match being held from June 7 to 11 at the Oval in London, the ICC confirmed the news. A reserve day (June 12) has also been put in place by the governing cricketing body in case of an inevitable situation in the final.



Interestingly, the WTC 2021-23 final is slotted between the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 Final, which is likely to be held on May 28 and the Ashes 2023 opener on June 16 in Birmingham.



So far Australia is placed comfortably atop the ICC WTC Points Table with a 75.56 win percentage, which includes 10 test wins, 4 draws and a single loss. Although no finalists have been officially confirmed yet, the Aussies are in the prime position to make their way through to the final of the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23.



Meanwhile, the other three teams in contention for the ICC World Test Championship final are India, Sri Lanka and South Africa. 



<h2>ICC World Test Championship Final qualification scenario</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="http://www.icccricketschedule.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/India-vs-Australia.jpg" alt="Indian skipper Rohit Sharma with Australian skipper Pat Cummins posting with Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023. ICC World Test Championship 2023" class="wp-image-102104" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Indian skipper Rohit Sharma with Australian skipper Pat Cummins posting with Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023 | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



Three test series are left to go in the ongoing cycle of the World Test Championship. The four-match test series between India and Australia, which starts today (9th Feb). New Zealand vs Sri Lanka two-match test series and South Africa vs West Indies two tests.



As mentioned earlier, Australia is seated at a dominant position in the points table. They just need to draw a test match in order to seal their berth in the ICC World Test Championship Final, given that they don't lose a point in penalty due to slow over rates. If the Aussies could not manage to draw a game against India, they will have to rely on the other teams to do them a favour.



For team India, the situation is really challenging. The Indians will have to defeat Australia 3-1 or better in the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023 in order to seal their position in the WTC final. Anything less than that, the permutation and combination will play its role.



For Sri Lanka and South Africa, nothing seems to be crystal clear for them. Even if they sweep their opponent, they will have to pray on the results of the other two fixtures.



<h2>ICC WTC Points Table</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2023/02/Screenshot-52-1024x415.png" alt="" class="wp-image-102100" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Points Table (dated - 9th February 2023) | Image Credit - icc-cricket.com</figcaption></figure>

ICC World Test Championship Final 2021-23 to be held from June 7-11 at Oval | ICC WTC Points Table

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WTC Final: How can team India Qualify for World Test Championship Final?: The World Test Championship has taken another turn as the host India appears too good for visitors Australia on a turning surface. Australia suffered a significant innings defeat in the first Test at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, further solidifying Team India's position in the <a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2987322" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ICC</a> World Test Championship Points Table (WTC final). The Rohit Sharma-led team hammered Australia by an inning and 132 runs to seize the 1-0 lead in the four-match series.



Australia won the coin toss at the beginning, and that was all they won. India was completely in control of the Test and did not really meet any resistance from the foreign team as they easily won the match in three days. Australia's second innings was bundled up in just a post-lunch session.



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DON'T MISS:<a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/jadeja-penalised-for-breaching-icc-code-of-conduct-in-the-1st-test-india-vs-australia-icc-fine-25-of-match-fees/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Jadeja Penalised for breaching ICC Code of Conduct in the 1st test India vs Australia.</a>



Australia's quest to confirm a seat in the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 Final has been further stretched as a result of India's innings victory in the first Test in Nagpur. India won the first of four home Tests against Australia making a significant step in securing their place in the ICC World Test Championship 2021?23 Final.



<div class="wp-block-rank-math-toc-block"><nav><ul><li class=""><a href="#strong-wtc-final-world-test-championship-wtc-points-table-strong">WTC Final: World Test Championship (WTC) Points Table</a></li><li class=""><a href="#strong-wtc-final-qualification-scenario-strong">WTC Final: Qualification Scenario</a></li></ul></nav></div>



<h2 id="strong-wtc-final-world-test-championship-wtc-points-table-strong">WTC Final: World Test Championship (WTC) Points Table</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><thead><tr><th>POS</th><th>Team</th><th>PCT (%)</th><th>Points</th><th>Wins</th><th>Losses</th><th>Draw</th><th>Series</th><th>PEN</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>AUSTRALIA</td><td>70.83</td><td>136</td><td>10</td><td>2</td><td>4</td><td>6</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>INDIA</td><td>61.67</td><td>111</td><td>9</td><td>4</td><td>2</td><td>6</td><td>-5</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>SRI LANKA</td><td>53.33</td><td>64</td><td>5</td><td>4</td><td>1</td><td>5</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>SOUTH AFRICA</td><td>48.72</td><td>76</td><td>6</td><td>6</td><td>1</td><td>5</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>ENGLAND</td><td>46.97</td><td>124</td><td>10</td><td>8</td><td>4</td><td>6</td><td>-12</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>WEST INDIES</td><td>40.91</td><td>54</td><td>4</td><td>5</td><td>2</td><td>5</td><td>-2</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>PAKISTAN</td><td>38.1</td><td>64</td><td>4</td><td>6</td><td>4</td><td>6</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>NEW ZEALAND</td><td>27.27</td><td>36</td><td>2</td><td>6</td><td>3</td><td>5</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>BANGLADESH</td><td>11.11</td><td>16</td><td>1</td><td>10</td><td>1</td><td>6</td><td>0</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 id="strong-wtc-final-qualification-scenario-strong">WTC Final: Qualification Scenario</h2>



India has progressed towards a second straight World Tennis Championship final owing to their victory over Australia in the first Test. The runners-up from the first edition need two more victories from the remaining three Test matches against Australia in order to secure themselves minimum total points of 62.50%, which would eliminate Sri Lanka, who are currently in third position, from the championship.



India's victory also eliminated England and the West Indies from the race for the final, leaving just Sri Lanka and South Africa, who are ranked third and fourth in the points table, to remain in the hunt. If India lose each of the next three Tests or loss any other possible combination of results, they will be redirected to rely on the outcomes of New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka series.



On the other side, Australia is still the favorite to be the first team to secure a spot in the WTC final, despite their loss to India in the first Test. Even if they lost all four Test matches, they would still wrap up the cycle with a percentage of 59.64%, assuming no points were lost due to the over-rate penalty. At that point, they would be relying on the outcome of the two-match series between third-placed Sri Lanka and New Zealand, which begins the following week.



READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ipl-2023-csks-ms-dhoni-confirmed-to-retire-after-ipl-2023-reports/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IPL 2023: CSK?s MS Dhoni confirmed to retire after IPL 2023 ? Reports</a>



Visit?<a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ICC CRICKET SCHEDULE</a>?for more cricketing updates.

WTC Final: How can team India Qualify for World Test Championship 2021-23 Final? World Test Championship Points Table

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WTC 2023 Final Qualifying Scenario: Australia has qualified for the WTC final following a convincing 9-wicket win against Team India in Indore. Two teams are competing for the last spot in the tournament. One of the four games between South Africa and the West Indies has no chance. This moves the attention to the outcome of the Sri Lanka vs. New Zealand series, which begins on the same day as the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.&nbsp;



<h2>Top Spot for WTC 2023:</h2>



Australia was the first team to secure their place in the Test series against India. Nevertheless, two crushing losses, one by an innings and 123 runs in the first game and one by six wickets in the second, saw Team India emerge as the number one team to clinch the deal. The tables have now flipped, with Australia dominating the third game.



With 68.52 PCT, Australia has risen to the top of the WTC points standings. India is in second place with 60.29 PCT, but they haven't made it to the final yet. Sri Lanka, who is in third place, is a threat to India's qualification.



<h2>India vs. Australia, Fourth Test Match:</h2>



After three dust bowls, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was finally a batting paradise for the India-Australia series. However, the change may not help the hosts much since they are trying to qualify for the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC). Before the series finals, Team India head coach Rahul Dravid said that the choice to play on turners and result-oriented surfaces was made with the WTC final qualifying in mind. Still, when the ICC said that the pitch in Indore was bad, a batting paradise was set up. Australia took advantage of this when they won the toss and scored 480 runs in the first innings. Usman Khawaja scored 180 runs, and Cameron Green scored 114 runs to reach his maiden Test century.



<h2>India Scenario for WTC 2023 Final:</h2>



The type of surface and Australia's talent may jeopardize India's prospects, considering that India must win the current match if they do not want to rely on other outcomes to make the WTC 2023 final. If India wins the current test, their points percentage (PCT) will increase from 60.29 to 62.5. If they lose, the PCT will fall to 56.9. If the game is a tie, India's PCT will be 58.7.



As a consequence, if Sri Lanka wins the match against New Zealand, India's destiny is out of their control. Sri Lanka leads New Zealand by 65 runs (2nd innings) in the series opener in Christchurch and should easily defeat the Kiwis in the next Test match. Sri Lanka's PCT is now at 53.33. If Sri Lanka wins the first game of the series, their PCT will jump to 57.58. Nevertheless, in order for Sri Lanka to qualify for the WTC final, they must win both Test matches since only their PCT will reach 61.1.



Sri Lanka's hopes would collapse if they failed to win even one of the two matches against New Zealand. Sri Lanka's PCT will be 52.77 if they win one and lose the other. If they win one match and tie the other, their PCT will be 55.55. As a result, even if India loses the Ahmedabad Test (or the game is drawn), they will still have a chance to qualify for the final.



<h2>WTC 2021-23 Final Scenarios:</h2>



For Australia vs. India-



India to win the 4th Test, or Sri Lanka to lose or draw one Test match vs. New Zealand.



For Australia vs. Sri Lanka-



Sri Lanka has to defeat New Zealand by 2-0, or India will lose the fourth Test.



Read this: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ind-vs-aus-india-is-already-in-icc-wtc-final-says-sanjay-manjrekar/" target="_blank" data-type="post" data-id="104135" rel="noreferrer noopener">IND vs AUS: India is already in ICC WTC Final says Sanjay Manjrekar</a>

WTC 2023 Final Qualifying Scenario: What Happens If India Wins Or Loses In The Fourth Test Against Australia?

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WTC Final: After the conclusion of the cash-rich T20 league TATA IPL on 28th May, all eyes are on the coveted ICC main event ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 Final. India and Australia, the two heavyweights of test cricket are the finalists of ICC WTC 2021-23. This post will read WTC Final Schedule, Date, Time, Venue, Full Squads, Strongest Playing 11s, Tickets Booking, Streaming, and Broadcasting Details.



Despite the fourth Test match against Australia concluded in a tie, India qualified for the World Test Championship (WTC) final on March 13. The victory of New Zealand against Sri Lanka guaranteed the Men in Blue a spot in the World Test Championship final for the second consecutive session.



India and Australia will play a Test match at a neutral venue for the first time in the history of Test cricket. India and Australia have clashed 106 times in Test matches so far. Australia have won 44 times as compared to India's 32 wins. In contrast, Australia have won six times and India eight times in the last ten years.



India have announced a strong 15-men squad with 3 players as reserves and Australia, on the other hand, have announced a 17-men powerhouse. Most of the players have already reached England for the preparations.



<div class="wp-block-rank-math-toc-block" id="rank-math-toc"><nav><ul><li class=""><a href="#icc-wtc-final-match-details">ICC WTC FINAL: Match Details</a></li><li class=""><a href="#icc-wtc-final-squads">ICC WTC Final: Squads</a></li><li class=""><a href="#icc-wtc-final-strongest-playing-11-s">ICC WTC Final: Strongest Playing 11s</a></li><li class=""><a href="#icc-wtc-2023-final-ticket-booking">ICC WTC 2023 Final Ticket Booking</a></li><li class=""><a href="#icc-wtc-final-prize-money">ICC WTC Final: Prize Money</a></li><li class=""><a href="#icc-wtc-final-where-to-watch-wtc-final">ICC WTC Final: Where to Watch WTC Final?</a></li></ul></nav></div>



Down below are complete details of the ICC WTC Final Schedule, Prizes, Date, Venue, Full Squads, Strongest Playing 11s, Ticket Booking, Streaming, and Broadcasting:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="icc-wtc-final-match-details">ICC WTC FINAL: Match Details</h2>



Tournament: ICC World Test Championship 2021-23



Match: India vs Australia, The Finals



Date/Day: Jun 7(Wed) - Jun 11(Sun)



Time: 10:30 AM Local, 3:00 PM IST



Venue: Kennington Oval, London



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="icc-wtc-final-squads">ICC WTC Final: Squads</h2>



Several key players are absent from the squad, including Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer. Rishabh Pant is very crucial to India since he gives the team sturdy stability, an aggressive attitude when they bat, and world-class wicketkeeping.



Indian Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat, Ishan Kishan(Doubtful), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat Standby players:&nbsp;Ruturaj Gaikwad (may get replaced by Yashasvi Jaiswal), Suryakumar Yadav, and Mukesh Kumar.



Australian Squad: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vice-captain), Alex Carey, Josh Inglis (Jimmy Pierson added as backup), Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="icc-wtc-final-strongest-playing-11-s">ICC WTC Final: Strongest Playing 11s</h2>



INDIA'S Strongest Playing 11:- Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Siraj.



AUSTRALIA'S Strongest Playing 11:- Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland (If Hazelwood is unfit),



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="icc-wtc-2023-final-ticket-booking">ICC WTC 2023 Final Ticket Booking</h2>



Tickets for the IND vs. AUS WTC final can be booked and ordered at the WTC website. The processes for ordering tickets for the ICC WTC Final are as follows.



<ul>
<li>Visit <a href="https://www.worldtestchampionship.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">worldtestchampionship.com</a>.</li>



<li>Click on WTC Final 2023 Tickets</li>



<li>Choose a date between June 7 and June 11, 2023, by clicking on it.</li>



<li>You will be asked to select a place to sit and book a seat.</li>



<li>You will be asked to complete payment when you book the seat.</li>



<li>Completing the payment does the booking procedure.</li>



<li>You may now download the tickets for the ICC WTC 2023 Final.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="icc-wtc-final-prize-money">ICC WTC Final: Prize Money</h2>



The International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed the prize money for the World Test Championship cycle 2021-23 on Wednesday. The nine teams will split a staggering Rs 31.4 crore, the same as the last cycle (2019?21), according to an official announcement. Starting on June 7, the World Tennis Championship final at the Ovals in London will feature India vs Australia. The grand prize for winning the WTC 2023 Final is calculated to be worth Rs 13.22 crore, while the approximate prize money for the runners-up is Rs 6.61 crore.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="icc-wtc-final-where-to-watch-wtc-final">ICC WTC Final: Where to Watch WTC Final?</h2>



Cricket enthusiasts may tune into Star Sports Network to catch the World Test Championship final live. On the Disney+Hotstar app and website, viewers may watch the game live.



READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/icc-cricket-world-cup-2023-schedule-to-be-announced-on-sidelines-of-icc-wtc-final/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Schedule to be announced on sidelines of ICC WTC Final</a>



For more details head to ICC Cricket World Cup?s official&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cricketworldcup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">website</a>.

WTC Final Schedule, Prizes, Date, Venue, Full Squads, Strongest Playing 11s, Ticket Booking, Streaming, and Broadcasting Details.

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India captain Rohit Sharma bid adieu to 2024 in a staggering Instagram post. The senior batter posted a video on Instagram on Tuesday, December 31, of his best and worst moments of 2024. This comes amid the talks related to his retirement. 
Rohit Sharma had a roller coaster ride in 2024 as the captain had his best and worst part of his career. The India captain started the year on high as under him India won the Test match at Centurion and went on to draw the series. After that, he was at his best in the Test series against England. 
Rohit Sharma with the team full of youngsters won the Test series against England. Under his leadership, India won the five-match series by a massive margin of 4-1. He led from the front and also slammed two centuries in the series, helping the team win. 
After that, Rohit Sharma was at his best in the IPL as he was amongst the highest run-getters for Mumbai Indians. He also slammed the century there. He also returns to the T20Is before the Tests as slammed a century there as well. 
<h2>The best moment for Rohit Sharma was in June when under his leadership India won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.</h2>
The best moment for Rohit Sharma was in June when under his leadership India won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. He was the leading run-getter for the team in the tournament as he top-scored and helped the India team end their ICC title drought. 
Things didn't go well for Rohit Sharma after that. Since then has been going through a rough patch in the Tests. The India captain has failed to get going and under his leadership team faced the whitewash first time at home as they lost the series to New Zealand by the margin of 3-0. 
He is currently in Australia but things have been poor for him as well. The batter has scored just 31 runs in the three games and also under him India is behind in the series by 2-1. He has registered scores of 3, 6, 10, 3 and 9 and following this, there have been a lot of talks related to his retirement as well. 
He posted the video with caption: "For all the ups &amp; downs, and everything in between, Thank you 2024."
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEPoz8Ah2oV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">You can watch video here: </a>
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/3-changes-india-must-make-to-win-the-scg-test-to-retain-the-border-gavaskar-trophy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3 changes India must make to win the SCG Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy</a>

"For all the ups & downs" - Rohit Sharma bids adieu to.....

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India is all set to lock horns with England in the three-match ODI series. This will be the only series for the Men in Blue before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and it will be extremely important for the team as they would want to look at their combination for the tournament. 
The ODI series between England and India will get underway from 6th February at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. The second game of the series is scheduled to take place on 9th February in Cuttack, followed by the last match to be played on 12th at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. 
There have been several reports that have claimed that India will be playing the series in the absence of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. This is because BCCI wants their premier players to be rested and fresh for the ICC Champions Trophy 2024, which will be a crucial event for the team. 
If the reports emerge to be true, then it will be a massive problem for the Indian team that they will be playing without their captain. This has raised speculations about who will be leading the team in the three-match ODI series against the full-strength England team at home. 
<h2>Who will captain India in the absence of Rohit Sharma during England ODIs </h2>
With Rohit Sharma being rested for the three-match ODI series, it is expected that Shubman Gill will be captaining the team against England. The young batter was recently appointed as the vice-captain of the team in the white-ball format after the team went through the transition. 
It is expected that the squad for the England series will be similar to what India will be named for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Therefore, it will be a great opportunity for the young players who will be picked to make their case strong for the tournament. 
Shubman Gill, since the last few years, has been the best batter for India in the ODIs. He has shown his real class with the bat and would want to carry on the same form. He also was captain of the team during the T20I series against Zimbabwe and will be keen to replicate the same performance.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/3-changes-india-must-make-to-win-the-scg-test-to-retain-the-border-gavaskar-trophy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3 changes India must make to win the SCG Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy</a>

There have been several reports that have claimed that India will be playing the series in the absence of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah

Who will captain India if Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli will be rested for England ODIs

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Team India are currently in Australia for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The fifth and final test will end on January 7; after that, India will play three T20Is and three ODIs against England at home between January 22 and February 12.
This will be the last three ODIs for India ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, and India will look to prepare for the upcoming mega event. However, there has been news that India might rest Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
Being India's premier pacer, Bumrah has been doing too much in Australia, but resting out-of-form Virat and Rohit might not be ideal. Hence, we will talk about three reasons why India should not rest Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from England ODIs.
<h2>Three reasons why India should not drop Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from England ODIs ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025</h2>
1. Form of both players
Dropping a player who is struggling with form might not do good for the team. Both Virat and Rohit have struggled in Australia, and they are searching for runs badly. Consistent failures must have hurt their confidence as well. Hence, at home on Indian batting pitches, it can be ideal to get back to form. But if India rest them, they won't have the time to get back to form and will enter the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after a string of low scores.
2. Only ODIs to prepare for Champions Trophy 2025
Since the ODI World Cup 2023 at home, Rohit and Virat have only played three ODI matches. Though they have played test cricket consistently, ODI format is a different game altogether. Hence, to get back into rhythm, the upcoming ODI series against England can be perfect. At least England are going with the same team that will feature in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. That is why India must need to do and give the game time to their main batters whom you expect to fire in the mega event.
3. Managing Replacement
The form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli is under scrutiny, and many questions have been raised about their position in tests. However, ODI cricket is a totally different format. But loss of form can sometimes hurt the confidence, and it can affect other formats as well. Hence, India should play them in England ODIs because if they fail, then they can pick the backup batters for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. That means if these two don't score runs against England, then India can take some hard decisions and pick other players as replacements.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/3-changes-india-must-make-to-win-the-scg-test-to-retain-the-border-gavaskar-trophy/">3 changes India must make to win the SCG Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy</a>

The Indian management is looking to rest Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from England ODIs ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025.

3 Reasons why Resting Virat and Rohit from England ODIs can be blunder ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

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Batting great Sunil Gavaskar gave a massive suggestion to the Indian team going forward in Test cricket. He said that the Rohit Sharma-led should keep an eye on Venkatesh Iyer for the red-ball cricket as he can be handy for the team. 
India hasn't been blessed with as many fast-bowling all-rounders as they would've wanted. After Kapil Dev, it was Hardik Pandya who took the mantle and has been doing a staggering job for the team in the white-ball cricket but his fitness hasn't supported him at all. 
Hardik Pandya played a few Tests for India but couldn't carry on in the format. The all-rounder last played in 2018 and, after that, has been focusing on white-ball cricket after that, India tried Shardul Thakur, and although he did a decent job, the quality wasn't there, and he was dropped. 
India now has included Nitish Kumar Reddy in the team and the all-rounder has been doing a great job in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He has shown great promise with the bat as he also slammed a magnificent century and helped the team tackle the trouble. 
But it's fair to say that the quality of the ball still has been lacking. Nitish Kumar Reddy hasn't been the best with the ball and hasn't bowled well, which has put an extra burden on Jasprit Bumrah, who has bowled around 140 overs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. 
<h2>India must also keep an eye on Venkatesh Iyer, who can be another fine all-rounder and is a left-hander to bat - Sunil Gavaskar</h2>
Amid the debate around all-rounder, Sunil Gavaskar has suggested the name of Venkatesh Iyer, claiming that he can be a fine all-rounder for the team. He also pointed out that he played in the county. Writing in his column, he explained: 
"India must also keep an eye on Venkatesh Iyer, who can be another fine all-rounder and is a left-hander to bat. His bowling too can do with some work, but he has played in England and can be a very good option to have there," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar. 
Venkatesh Iyer has already made his India debut, having played two ODIs and nine T20Is. He also played for Lancashire in the England summer earlier this year.
Also Read:<a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/indian-cricket-team-india-s-full-test-cricket-schedule-in-2025-they-will-face-these-teams/#google_vignette"> </a><a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/indian-cricket-team-india-s-full-test-cricket-schedule-in-2025-they-will-face-these-teams/#google_vignette">Indian Cricket: Team India's full Test Cricket schedule in 2025, they will face these teams</a>

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar gave a massive suggestion to the Indian team going forward in Test cricket.

Not Hardik Pandya or Nitish Reddy, Sunil Gavaskar wants this fast-bowling all-rounder for Tests

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After the end of the 2025 IPL Mega-Auction, a lot of teams have strengthened their respective batting units. The dominance of the batters is going to increase even more this time around in the Biggest T20 tournament in the entire world and it's going to be really interesting to see which teams walks out on to the field with the strongest batting unit. 
Every year, the batsmen create new records in the IPL and now the runs figure of 250 is looking pretty common these days. Not just this, scoring centuries has also become pretty common for the batters. In such a situation, let's take a look at 3 teams who have the strongest batting-unit in IPL 2025
<h3>Three IPL Teams who have the strongest batting-unit in IPL 2025:</h3>
<h3>1. Sunrisers Hyderabad</h3>
Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad will once again walk out on the field in the IPL with the strongest batting unit. The likes of Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen are a part of the squad of SRH and these players have the potential in them to dominate any opposition bowling unit. 
While Kishan is a new addition, the other four players were a part of the Hyderabad team in the previous edition of the tournament too and they wrecked havoc in the 2024 edition of the IPL as they crossed the 260 run mark twice verus the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and five time winners Mumbai Indians (MI).The presence of these four players and the addition of hard hitting Indian batter Ishan Kishan makes the IPL 2024 runners-up a force to reckon with. 

<h3>2. Kolkata Knight Riders</h3>
IPL 2024 winners and reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are blessed to have a solid and a strong batting unit ahead of IPL 2025. The presence of the likes of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Quinton de Kock and Ajinkya Rahane can target any bowler from the word go. The aggressive batting nature of Gurbaz, De Kock, Narine and Venky Iyer along with the solid middle order presence of the duo of Russell and Rinku make the team of KKR look like a complete and a really formidable one. The Reigning Champs are surely going to be a dangerous side to bowl against.

<h4>3. Delhi Capitals </h4>
After the conclusion of the 2025 IPL Mega-Auction, the Delhi Capitals managed to include some really incredible batters in their squad which consists of the likes of KL Rahul, Tristan Stubbs, Jack Fraser McGurk and Harry Brook. Besides them, the presence of experienced all-rounder Axar Patel provides a lot of stability to their middle-order. This time around, the Delhi franchise have set up themselves as a batting-heavy team, which will create a lot of difficulties for the opposition bowlers.

Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ipl-csk-s-strongest-playing-11-if-conway-and-ravindra-miss-the-start-of-ipl-2025/">IPL: CSK's strongest Playing 11 if Conway and Ravindra miss the start of IPL 2025</a>

Many IPL teams have strengthened their squads after the end of the 2025 Mega-Auction and three teams have the strongest batting-unit ahead of IPL 2025. We will be taking a look at those three teams in this article.

IPL 2025: 3 Teams who have the strongest batting unit, they can blow away any bowling attack

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It has been a great year for India's ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, as he has been at the top of his game and has proved it in all three formats. The ace pacer played a big role in India's T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, winning the Player of the Tournament award. Bumrah has taken the most wickets in 2024 across all three formats.
But his best came in the red-ball cricket, where he has taken most wickets in 2024. That is why Cricket Australia (CA) has honored him and picked him as the captain of the Test XI of 2024. Interestingly, CA has not picked Pat Cummins and has picked Bumrah to lead the team.
CA has picked three English players, two each from Australia, India, and New Zealand, and a player each from South Africa and Sri Lanka. Apart from Bumrah, the Indian opener Yashavi Jaiswal also features in the exclusive Best Test XI by Cricket Australia.
<h2>Jasprit Bumrah picked as captain to lead Best Test XI of 2024 by Cricket Australia</h2>
Indian ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah led India in the first game of the ongoing BGT series in Perth and played a crucial role in winning. Hence, CA has picked Bumrah to lead this exclusive Test XI. The 31-year-old has taken 71 wickets in just 13 games at an average of 14.92 and a strike rate of 30.16, with five fifers.
Jaiswal and Ben Duckett have been picked to open the innings. Both left-handers had a tremendous year. Jaiswal has scored 1478 runs and is the second-highest scorer in 2024, while Duckett has scored 1149 and is below Jaiswal at three for this year. Former English captain Joe Root, who is leading the run scoring chart with 1556 runs in 17 tests, is picked to bat at no. 3.
<h2>Harry Brook to lead the middle-order batting in the Best Test XI by Cricket Australia</h2>
The middle order is filled with some exceptional performers. Harry Brook, who was the No. 1 ranked test batter, has scored 1100 runs this year in just 12 games with four centuries, including a triple hundred, and is at No. 4. He is followed by New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra, who has 984 runs in 12 tests.
At no. 6, Sri Lanka's emerging star Kamindu Mendis, who became one of the fastest to reach 1000 test runs. Mendis has scored 1049 runs in just nine tests, with five centuries and three half-centuries. Australia's Alex Carey is picked as the wicketkeeper, who has scored 440 runs in nine tests.
Bumrah will lead the team. The other two pacers are England's Gus Atkinson and New Zealand's Matt Henry. Atkinson has taken 52 wickets in 11 tests, while Henry has taken 48 wickets in nine tests. South Africa's Keshav Maharaj is the only spinner in the team, who has 35 wickets in seven tests.
Cricket Australia's Best Test XI of 2024: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Rachin Ravindra, Harry Brook, Kamindu Mendis, Alex Carey (wk), Matt Henry, Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood, Keshav Maharaj
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/mitchell-starc-ruled-out-of-sydney-test-australian-coach-makes-a-big-revelation-ahead-of-5th-test/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitchell Starc ruled out of Sydney Test? Australian coach makes a big revelation ahead of 5th Test</a>

Cricket Australia announced the Best Test XI of 2024, picking two Indian players. Jasprit Bumrah has been picked as the captain of the team.

Cummins dropped as Jasprit Bumrah to lead as Cricket Australia released Best Test XI of 2024

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Rohit Sharma, the current captain of the Indian Cricket Team is set to take the big decision of retiring from Test Cricket following the conclusion of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series versus the Australians. According to a media report, Rohit will be taking a big decision regarding his career after the conclusion of the ongoing series. 
Let us tell you that the Men in Blue have failed to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, a series which the Indians have won on the previous four occasions. On the other hand, the personal performance of the 37-year-old with the bat have been poor too, managing to score just 31 runs in five innings versus the Aussies in the current edition of the BGT. 
According to the news report of Times of India, the top officials of thr BCCI and the National Team selectors have already talked to Rohit and it looks like the 'Hitman' will not be changing his decision of retiring. While the date of his retirement has not been revealed yet, some news reports suggest that the 37-year-old will be taking the tough decision after the conclusion of the Sydney Test-Match. 
If the two time WTC runners-up manage to qualify for the 2023-25 WTC Final, then Rohit can carry on as the captain of the team for some more time and he will most likely have a discussion with the selectors regarding staying on as the skipper. 
Following the team's defeat in the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test, the Indian captain was deeply hurt by the defeat. On one hand, elite seamer Jasprit Bumrah has single handedly dismissed Australian batters 30 times in the ongoing series while Rohit on the other hand, has managed to amass just 31 runs. It's possible that the retirement of the 'Hitman' is not that far but he won't be moving away from Red-ball Cricket without fighting back in the Sydney Test-Match.
<h2>What did Indian Captain Rohit Sharma say following the team's embarrassing defeat in Melbourne? </h2>
The Indian Team fell to an embarrassing 184 runs defeat in the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test-Match versus the Australians and this defeat meant that the home team have taken a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. After the defeat, Skipper Rohit Sharma that there are many things that are not happening according to his wishes. He also said that this defeat is mentally disturbing. 
"It's evident that we have had a few unfavorable-outcomes, and as captain, I find this disheartening. Many of the things I'm attempting to do as a batter are not working out and it's upsetting to the mind," the Indian captain said.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/mitchell-starc-ruled-out-of-sydney-test-australian-coach-makes-a-big-revelation-ahead-of-5th-test/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitchell Starc ruled out of Sydney Test? Australian coach makes a big revelation ahead of 5th Test</a>

A dejected Rohit Sharma walks back to the dugout after getting dismissed for yet another low score in the BGT 2024 series | Image: Associated Press

Reportedly, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has decided to retire from Test Cricket and the announcement is likely to be made by the BCCI after the end of the Sydney Test-Match versus the Australians.

Team India: Captain Rohit Sharma decides to retire from Tests, BCCI likely to make an announcement soon

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The Indian Men's National Cricket Team is currently in Australia where they are taking part in the 2024-25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Post the conclusion of the Australian tour, they will head back to Indian where they will be participating in a limited-overs Bilateral Series versus England, which will consist of five T20 International contests and three One Day International games. 
Ahead of England's tour of India, a big update has come out regarding the three-match One Day International series and it says that the duo of Virat Kohli &amp; Rohit Sharma are not going play in the Odds versus the Three Lions. Besides these two players, elite seamer Jasprit Bumrah will also miss the ODI series. 
The One-Day International series versus the Three Lions is the Men in Blue's final series before the commencement of 2025 Champions Trophy and this series will be acting as a preparatory ground for the 2023 ODI World Cup runners-up. 
The White Ball assignment versus the Jos Buttler-led team will start from the 22nd of January, 2025 with the five-match Twenty-Twenty series. Then the 50-overs event of three games will kick off from the 6th of February, 2025.
It's worth noting that both Virat &amp; Rohit have retired from the shortest format of the game and both will be seen playing in just the One-Day International matches but now that seems very unlikely too.
According to a news report of Sports Tak, the trip of Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli &amp; Rohit Sharma will be missing the England ODI series due to the workload-management policy of the BCCI. Bumrah will also be absent from the England T20 International series. However, official updates regarding the trio's participation are yet to be revealed. 
<h2>The 2025 edition of the Champions Trophy will commence from the 19th of February</h2>
Let us tell you that the 2025 edition of the Champions Trophy will kick off from the 19th of February, 2025. On the other hand, the white ball series between England and India will end on the 12th of February. Champions Trophy (CT) will be played under the 'Hybrid-Model' policy.
While Pakistan will be acting as the host country of the tournament, the Men in Blue will be playing their CT fixtures in the city of Dubai, UAE. If the Rohit Sharma-led team manage to qualify for the knock out rounds and advance to the final too, then one Semi-Final and the all-important Final will be played in the Dubai Cricket Stadium.
Do Read:

India's Jasprit Bumrah (R) celebrates with teammate Virat Kohli (C) and captain Rohit Sharma after taking the wicket of Australia's captain Pat Cummins during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match between India and Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai | Image: Getty Images

The Trio of Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma are set to miss the England ODI series ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

IND vs ENG: Kohli and Rohit set to miss the England ODI series ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

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IND vs AUS: India are the current holder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, as they have won the last four editions and have a great record. Australia won the last BGT trophy back in 2014-15, but it looks like the long wait is all set to come to an end. After an emphatic win at the MCG, Australia are leading by 2-1.
They just need to win or draw the final test, which will help them to win the BGT trophy and also to qualify for the World Test Championship 2023-25 final. Australia have had great performance so far, and everyone has chipped in with valuable contributions.
The fifth and final test is all set to begin on January 3, 2025, at the Sydney Cricket Ground. However, ahead of the final game, Australia might suffer a big blow. Ace pacer Mitchell Starc can miss the game due to a fitness issue.
<h2>IND vs AUS 5th Test: "Mitchell Starc is carrying something of some description"- Australian head coach Andrew McDonald</h2>
Australia had to find the replacement for Josh Hazlewood when he was ruled out ahead of the MCG test. Though they had Scott Boland, who did pretty well. But they can have a big headache if Mitchell Starc also gets ruled out of the final test. Australian head coach Andrew McDonald is optimistic about Starc's availability for the SCG test.
The 34-year-old looked in discomfort during the Boxing Day Test in the second innings. He left the field during Day 3 due to a niggle and was seen stretching his back a few times in India's second innings as well. However, the pacer kept pushing hard and played a crucial role in Australia's victory. He took the wicket of Virat Kohli in the second innings and bowled consistently with a good speed of over 140 km/h.
His inclusion is still a question, and McDonald said, "Clearly, Starc is carrying something of some description. We’ll assess that. There was clearly a bit of discomfort early in his spells, but once he warmed up, he seemed relatively free. His ball speeds were good."
Notably, Australia have the option to go for Sean Abbott and Jhye Richardson if Starc gets unfit for the final game. These two pacers are with the team as backup options. Australia are one win away from regaining the BGT trophy and qualifying for the WTC final. So, they need Starc fully fit and at his best for the final game.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/3-changes-india-must-make-to-win-the-scg-test-to-retain-the-border-gavaskar-trophy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3 changes India must make to win the SCG Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy</a>

Mitchell Starc was seen in discomfort while bowling in the Boxing Day Test. He had a niggle, and his participating in the final test at the SCG is in doubt.

Mitchell Starc ruled out of Sydney Test? Australian coach makes a big revelation ahead of 5th Test

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The finalists of both World Test Championship cycles in the history of Test cricket—once the number-one ranked team for a long time before the home series against New Zealand and a side brimming with some of the finest red-ball cricketing talent—have suffered as many as 11 batting collapses in their last 14 innings.
If we set aside a few individual performances from these 14 innings, the overall display as a unit reveals two more poor performances. Not to mention, India managed to win just one Test out of those seven, and that too only when the entire top order fired up and put up substantial runs.
The most disheartening aspect is that India faltered against New Zealand at home, on pitches they themselves had chosen to play on. New Zealand, on the other hand, executed their plans and tactics flawlessly, adapting brilliantly to subcontinent conditions. They not only outplayed India but also delivered a resounding statement by securing a 3-0 whitewash in the Test series on Indian soil.
Following the home humiliation, India embarked on their tour of Australia for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and started on a high note, winning the first Test in Perth. Despite being bowled out for just 150 in the first innings, a brilliant 161 from Jaiswal and an unbeaten century from Kohli (100*) secured a memorable victory for India.
While Indian bowling, led by Jasprit Bumrah, has delivered consistently and performed satisfactorily, the same cannot be said for the batting lineup, which continues to struggle with inconsistency.

The second innings at Perth was the last time Indian batting displayed solidity. In the pink-ball Test at Adelaide, the team suffered a double collapse, resulting in a defeat. At Brisbane, KL Rahul, Jadeja, and Akash Deep were the only players to score above 20, highlighting the lack of form and consistency within the batting order.
The latest disappointment came in Melbourne, where the story was no different. Despite promising starts, the batters threw away their wickets, leading to yet another collapse. Jaiswal, however, continued his excellent form and proved to be the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal batting performance, fully deserving the bit of luck that came his way.
<h2>Things Going Wrong With Indian Batting</h2>
<h3>Out of Form Captain</h3>
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Rohit Sharma, the Indian Test Captain, is just out of the knick and it looks like he is out of the mindset he used to have. If we talk on his numbers in the Border Gavaskar trophy 2024-25, he has scored only 31 runs in the three tests of the series. His total runs in the series are just one more than Jasprit Bumrah's wickets in the series.
The runs simply aren’t coming. While the statistics might provide material for laughs and social media memes, on a serious note, they paint a grim picture of Rohit as a batter. Not only has he struggled with his form, but his performance as a Test captain has also been far from tactically sound or proactive. The prolonged lean patch has seemingly further impacted his decision-making, compounding the issues for both himself and the team
<h3>Virat and the fifth Stump Love Affair</h3>
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‘Modern-day greats will figure out their way… you know… path,’ Rohit Sharma said with a smile when asked about Kohli's tendency to chase the fifth-stump ball ahead of the Boxing Day Test. Ironically, in both innings at the MCG, Kohli was dismissed chasing deliveries outside the off-stump, proving that the issue remains unresolved.
There seems to be a clear pattern emerging for both Kohli and Rohit, and opposing teams now know exactly how to send them back to the pavilion. The Australians, in particular, are enjoying testing Virat Kohli's patience, and it hasn’t taken much effort to reap the rewards. At this point, even someone like Mitch Marsh could dismiss Kohli by consistently bowling on the fourth or fifth stump line.
This issue needs to be addressed urgently. Kohli has earned his place among the greats over the years, but now it’s time for him to show how he can adapt and overcome this persistent fifth-stump vulnerability.
<h3>Rishabh Pant Being Over Aggressive </h3>
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Pant, known for his fearless and attacking style, has played key roles in many of India's victories. Yet, his tendency to go for high-risk shots has led to untimely dismissals, one of the most notable being a poor judgment call during the Melbourne Cricket Ground match, where he attempted an ill-conceived scoop shot.
Pant is putting in significant effort to get those valuable starts, and he’s been successful in doing so. But his aggressive instincts often take over, causing his well-earned starts to end in unfortunate dismissals.
READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/on-this-day-in-2014-the-legendary-ms-dhoni-played-his-final-test-and-retired-from-the-longest-format-of-the-game/">On this day in 2014, the legendary MS Dhoni played his final test and retired from the longest format of the game</a>

India’s recent struggles in Test cricket reflect inconsistent batting, with key players like Kohli and Rohit failing to find form. Despite strong individual performances, persistent issues, especially against Australia, remain unresolved.

India’s Test cricket woes continue with inconsistent batting and decision-making, despite individual brilliance, especially against Australia’s relentless pressure.