Team India suffered another crushing loss in the final of the World Test Championship on Sunday, facing a 209-run defeat to Australia at The Oval. The side, chasing a 444-run target, was bowled out on 234 on the final day of the Test, conceding a second-successive loss in the title clash of the tournament. India had faced a seven-wicket defeat in the inaugural final against New Zealand two years ago. The loss further extended India's wait for an ICC title; the side's last triumph in an ICC tournament came in 2013 when a Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side won the Champions Trophy.
A lot of conversations also surrounded India's preparations for the WTC Final this year. All members of the India squad bar Cheteshwar Pujara took part in the 2023 Indian Premier League and only began to arrive in England less than two weeks prior to the start of the final. India's head coach Rahul Dravid had stated that a three-week period in England was ideal, and two tour matches would've been a perfect preparation for the game; and now, the side's former head coach Ravi Shastri also spoke in detail about the same.
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When asked whether players should be getting a significant gap between the IPL and the final, Shastri straightaway denied its possibility, adding that it would all come down to the player's own choice.
{{/usCountry}}When asked whether players should be getting a significant gap between the IPL and the final, Shastri straightaway denied its possibility, adding that it would all come down to the player's own choice.
{{/usCountry}}“That's never going to happen. Let's be realistic. You're going to get 20 days, but if that's the case, you got to miss the IPL. The choice is yours,” Shastri said on Star Sports.
“It's up to the establishment as well. I'm sure the BCCI is going to review this in the future. If the WTC Final is going to come after the IPL, in month of June, for that season, if your team qualifies for the final, there should be certain clauses put in for the franchises,” said Shastri further.
Team India had arrived in England in multiple groups for the WTC Final due to the players' respective schedules in the 2023 season of the IPL. Mohammed Shami, Shubman Gill, and Ravindra Jadeja, the star Indian trio who featured in the titular clash, was among the last ones to arrive in England as they took part in the final.