Vaibhav Tripathi
According to Australia’s batting maestro, Steven Smith, the Oval surface is likely to provide batting-friendly conditions for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. However, he also anticipates the possibility of encountering India-like conditions as the match progresses. The venue is renowned for offering some of the best batting conditions in the country, characterized by pace and bounce.
“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. Lightening fast outfield, the square goes whole way across the ground, so it is a nice place to bat when you get in and has some decent pace and bounce for an English surface. Should be an absolute cracker,” Smith told cricket.com.au.
As part of their preparations for the World Test Championship final and the upcoming Ashes series, Smith and several other Australian batters participated in county cricket matches in England. Smith has been actively involved in honing his skills by playing in the English county cricket circuit.