'Could face some similarities at the Oval to what we had in India' - Steve Smith on India's spin threat ahead of WTC final

The World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 Final is set to get underway from June 7 and both the finalists, India and Australia, have started their preparation in full swing. As the buzz about the epic battle is rising, Australian star batter Steven Smith is anticipating batting-friendly conditions at The Oval. 

However, the 33-year-old also believes that Australia might have to face India-like conditions as the game progresses. With proper pace and bounce, the Oval wicket usually provides some of the best batting conditions in the Unitd Kingdom, however, spinners may come into play as the game goes on. Indian spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to take advantage of the conditions.

"The Oval can present itself with some spin occasionally particularly as the game wears on so we could face some sort of similarities to what we had in India at certain stages of the game. But The Oval is a wonderful place to play cricket in. Lightning-fast outfield, the square goes the whole way across the ground so it is a nice place to bat when you get in and has some decent pace and bounces for an English surface. Should be an absolute cracker," Smith told cricket.com.au.

Going by the performances in the last few years, India have had an upper hand over Australian. In the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, the visitors lost the series 1-2. Meanwhile, the upcoming final promises to be a thriller with the previous year’s runners-up India looking to clinch the title and end their drought of championships while Australia aiming to win their maiden title.

The 33-year-old also said that he is expecting fans to turn up in huge numbers for the final showdown and the atmosphere is going to be absolute fun. “The WTC is a great initiative. It gives every game we play a lot of relevance and for us to have qualified on top and face India in the final is incredibly exciting. It is going to be India and us at the Oval. I am sure there will be plenty of fans out there, probably more Indian than Australian but I am sure it is going to be great fun and guys are looking forward to it,” he said.