WTC Final: Kennington Oval, London Pitch Report


image-lik7u6g9Oval pitch a day before the WTC final [Source: Twitter]

On Wednesday, India and Australia will lock horns with each other in the World Test Championship final. As both teams are studded with some superstars, we expect a nail-biting face-off at Kennington Oval in England. 

Talking about India, the Rohit Sharma-led outfit had a prolific run in the WTC cycle, finishing in the second position with ten victories in eighteen outings. Meanwhile, Australia had an even better campaign, occupying the top spot in the points table with eleven wins in nineteen matches. 

As the Kennington Oval in London prepares to host the ultimate battle, let's see how the pitch is supposed to play during the game. 


Kennington Oval pitch report

On Monday, an image of the Oval surface, containing plenty of grass, went viral on social media. However, the curators are expected to trim the grass considerably before the game begins. 

But from the first look, it seems like there will be a tinge of green on the surface, offering some seam movement to the fast bowlers early in the Test match. There might also be some extra bounce, as revealed by Ravichandran Ashwin in a video on his YouTube channel. 

So, if the curator leaves fresh grass on the surface, it will be a paradise for bowlers early on. But with heat coming into play, the grass will dry up, making the wicket better for batting as the game progresses. In such a scenario, we don't think the surface will be on the slower side, as the grass will keep the track intact. 

The pitch at the Oval generally assists the spinners with the game's progression. So, we can't entirely discard the possibility of the spinners coming into play on the last two days. 

Sunny weather is predicted in London on Wednesday. So, unless a spicy track is dished out and the conditions are overcast, we don't see the toss-winner bowling first in the WTC final.