What is the World Test Championship?
The International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship (WTC) is a tournament for Test cricket. It is also known as the Test World Cup. It was started on 1st August 2019. The WTC lasts for two years and involves nine teams. Since a test match lasts five days, the tournament takes two years to finish. The top two teams play in the WTC Final.
The first edition of this tournament was held from 2019 to 2021. The final match of the ICC WTC 2019-21 happened in June 2021. India and New Zealand played in the final, and New Zealand won.
In the 2021-23 WTC tournament, India reached the finals once again. However, they were defeated in the final match (oh no!).
Who defeated India in the 2021-23 World Test Championship final?
India lost the recently held WTC final to Australia by 209 runs. The final match was held at the Oval Cricket Ground in London, England. India tried to chase a target of 444 runs but got bowled out for 234 in their second innings (test matches have four innings, two for each team).
Australia was better than India in all parts of the game. Many people criticised the Indian team for their poor performance. Some said they didn't have enough time to prepare for the final match because the players also played in the 2023 Indian Premier League.
Some former Indian players blamed India's batting for the loss. Australia played exceptionally well. Travis Head was named the Player of the Match for his excellent batting. Overall, Australia deserved to win the match.
What’s next for the Indian cricket team?
The Indian players have been rightfully criticised for their performance. However, we must remember that they are humans too. They also need our support and backing to perform well.
Now, the Indian team has to train and get ready for the next tournaments, especially the 2023 Men's Cricket World Cup. The tournament will be in India, which is a good thing for the Indian team. Let’s hope the Indian team performs well in the upcoming Men’s Cricket World Cup.
