WTC Final: Indian players practised with Dukes ball during IPL 2023, reveals Axar Patel ahead of marquee tie
Indian players practised with Dukes ball during IPL 2023, reveals Axar Patel (Photo | BCCI).
With the conclusion of IPL 2023, Indian players have now shifted their focus to the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final where they will take on the No. 1 ranked Australian team in a bid to end their ten-year-long ICC-title drought. Switching from white ball to red ball won't be easy for the Indian players but spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel said that the WTC final-bound players practised with Dukes ball even during IPL 16.
"So even during the IPL, it was discussed that we will bowl with the red ball. We had red balls, so we were using them. You know when and how to play, how much time you have. This mental switch from white ball to red ball is obviously tough, but we have enough time," Patel told ICC.
'During the IPL, we ordered....'
Axar further added, "The difference is the Dukes ball remains shinier for longer. But during the IPL, we had ordered the ball, so were practising with it and have gotten used to it." It is to be noted that Indian players arrived in the United Kingdom in different batches for the forthcoming WTC final. The players who were out of the IPL left first and were followed by the ones whose teams bowed out in the playoffs. The likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Shubman Gill, etc. arrived in the last batch after IPL 2023 final ended in the early hours on Tuesday (May 30).
Also Read: WTC Final: Indians with most wickets in Tests versus Australia
India will lock horns with Australia at the iconic Kennington Oval, London on June 07 for the marquee clash. In the inaugural WTC final, the Virat Kohli-led Indian team lost to New Zealand by eight wickets, in Southampton, and, hence, would be eager to win the Test mace this time around.
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India's final squad for WTC final versus Australia
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (wk)
Standby players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Suryakumar Yadav
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