India and Australia are set to clash in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) in Southampton in June. While both teams have shown their mettle in the longest format of the game, Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has backed his countrymen to out-bat the Aussies in the final.
Gavaskar, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest opening batsmen of all time, believes that India has a stronger batting lineup than Australia. In an interview with the Times of India, he said, “India’s batting is more experienced and has scored more runs than Australia’s in the last two years. That is why I think India’s batting will have the edge in the WTC final.”
Gavaskar’s comments are not without merit. India has been in fine form with the bat in recent years, with the likes of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Rohit Sharma consistently scoring runs. Kohli, who is widely regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world, has scored over 5,500 Test runs at an average of 52.37, while Pujara has over 6,000 Test runs at an average of 48.66.
Australia, on the other hand, has struggled with their batting in recent times. The retirement of Steve Smith and David Warner’s ban due to the ball-tampering scandal has left a huge void in their lineup. While Marnus Labuschagne has shown promise with the bat, the rest of the batting order has been inconsistent.
However, it is worth noting that Australia has a formidable bowling attack, with the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood in their ranks. They will undoubtedly pose a tough challenge for India’s batsmen.
Despite this, Gavaskar remains confident that India can out-bat Australia in the final. He said, “India’s batsmen have shown that they can score runs against the best bowling attacks in the world. If they can replicate that form in the WTC final, they will have a great chance of winning.”
The WTC final is set to take place from June 18-22 in Southampton. It promises to be an enthralling contest between two of the best teams in Test cricket. While Australia’s bowling attack will be a tough challenge for India, Gavaskar’s backing of India’s batting lineup should give fans of the Indian team hope that they can come out on top in the final.
