If you look man to man, Australia has a slight edge – Ravi Shastri on the key factor that can differentiate the two teams at the Oval

With the World Test Championship (WTC) Final only a few days away, experts are making their last-minute remarks about how the battle may pan out and how the two teams can line up to hammer it out in the hot yard at the Oval. Talking on a special show on Star Sports ahead of the clash, Ravi Shastri opened up on where the two teams stand and who holds the advantage in the clash of the titans.

Talking about the finale and the factors that may impinge the game, Shastri said, “I think that match fitness may come into play. As the others mentioned, you need some cricket behind. It's just not the number of overs that you bowl or how long you were staying in the park, let’s say just six hours. It is totally different from bowling in the nets for two hours, maybe for five or six days.”

He further added, “So it depends on how they have practised, how they have prepared. On paper, if you look man to man, Australia has a slight edge but that match-fitness might be the key. Mohammed Shami may just come in and do the damage in the first half an hour because he’s playing so much as opposed to someone settling in, to align to line and length and the right areas that you usually bowl at.”

Echoing the sentiments of Wasim Akram in the end, Ravi Shastri said that for the bowlers, rhythm also matters and it comes only from match practice. India will be going head-to-head against Australia in the WTC final, a match that promises to produce some of the best Test cricket in the world.