Australia might experiment in the group stage to find their best XI. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa will play a crucial role while left-arm spinner Ashton Agar is also expected to be in the mix.
Outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid expressed his confidence in India's ability to win their first ICC trophy in over a decade
The inaugural WTC final is scheduled to be held in Southampton from June 18-22.
'We have seen both teams not having played Test matches for a couple of months. So, it is a one-off. Anything can happen. I will sit on the fence'
From January 1, 2021 to September 9, 2024 -- during which Joe Root hit 17 centuries, Kane Williamson has hit, Steve Smith has made six tons but Virat Kohli has managed just two centuries.
New Zealand pacer Tim Southee said their World Test Championship triumph will take at least a couple of weeks to sink in.
The victorious New Zealand cricketers will carry the ICC World Test Championship Mace on a week-long, nationwide tour of the country, starting on July 26, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Wednesday.
The postponement of the Test series between South Africa and Australia means New Zealand have become the first team to qualify for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final to be held in England from June 18 to 22, with June 23 as the reserve day.
India captain Virat Kohli is not too concerned about the limited preparation time that his team will get for the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand as he believes that it has the requisite understanding of conditions from its past experience of playing in England.
Rajneesh Gupta offers insights about the World Test Championship Final.
India pacer Mohammed Siraj on Thursday said the team planned to bowl only bouncers to Travis Head irrespective of the outcome.
Given the Indian batting line-up's weakness against swinging deliveries, New Zealand could go in with an all-pace attack with the pitch likely to offer pace and bounce.
To express solidarity with those affected, Team India will wear black armbands, the BCCI said in a statement.
Shubman Gill is all set to open with Rohit Sharma after he was named in India's 15-man squad for the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand, in Southampton, from June 18.
The Indian players played in the IPL before the T20 league was suspended due to coronavirus.
New Zealand made as many as six changes for the ongoing second Test, some forced and some rotated ahead of the World Test Championship final against India in Southampton from June 18.
Australia coach Justin Langer said on Tuesday his team's "slack" attention to detail in bowling required overs in the India series had cost them a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
'To date, they've been fantastic in how they've continued to play all three formats of the game. Their commitment to Test cricket... I don't think it has ever been as strong as it is now'
Rain washed out an entire day's play for the second time in the ICC World Test Championship final in Southampton on Monday, diminishing hopes of a result in the India vs New Zealand contest.
'...there is every possibility that Shreyas will travel for the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka. The last ODI that India played was in South Africa and he scored a half-century (52). He had 500 plus runs (530) in the World Cup and averages just around 50. Can you drop him?'
Prolific India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, the leading run-scorer in the ongoing Test series against England, has been nominated for ICC Men's Player of the Month Award for February alongside New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka.
South Africa's decision to send a second-string side for Tests in New Zealand was a "wake-up call", said Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley.
Sourav Ganguly lauded Rohit Sharma's leadership qualities for India's unbeaten run in the ongoing T20 World Cup final
In the previous update, India had more points in their kitty despite being tied with Australia at 118 rating points each.
Australian batter Steve Smith on Thursday said his bowlers reaped the benefits of relentlessly targeting the off stump.
But the 32-year-old with 302 Test wickets didn't deny that it was indeed a great opportunity to gear up for the big battle against India.
Rohit cops blow on left thumb day before WTC final
Kane Williamson's team became Test cricket's first official world champions
Another tough choice India need to make is in the wicket-keeping department.
Aiming to complete the World Test Championship cycle and host the final in June as per schedule, the ICC is contemplating splitting points for all those WTC bilateral series that had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The change in WTC rule, prompted by the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed Australia (82.22%) to leapfrog India (75) to the top of the standings
What went wrong for India in the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand?
The India series starts on August 4. Vaughan reckons England must get better at playing the "long game" on good wickets.
Kohli's presence is vital, given his stellar performance in the previous WTC cycle and recent contributions against the West Indies.
'Amidst all the chaos and scathing assessments, I feel it's very important to acknowledge all my team mates who played in this cycle.'
Yuvraj feels India needs someone with Rohit's expertise to lead the Indian team at the marquee event.
India finished top of the ICC World Test Championship standings after crushing England by an innings and 25 runs in the fourth and final Test in Ahmedabad on Saturday, to claim the series 3-1.
The batter wore underpants custom made to commemorate Australia's 4-0 Ashes victory over England in 2021-2022.
Williamson agreed that getting Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara out early did set it up nicely for them.
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