Australia favourites on paper but Indian players have edge in terms of match fitness: Shastri

The Australian team on paper holds slight advantage on a bouncy Oval track but both Ravi Shastri and Ricky Ponting feel that the Indians are better prepared for the World Test Championship final beginning Wednesday with IPL game-time under their belt.

The Australian team on paper holds slight advantage on a bouncy Oval track but both Ravi Shastri and Ricky Ponting feel that the Indians are better prepared for the World Test Championship final beginning Wednesday with IPL game-time under their belt.

Shastri, Ponting and Pakistan legend Wasim Akram all feel that the Oval track will remain fresher than it usually is as it has never hosted a Test match in June in the venue's 140-year history.

Shastri, a former India head coach who guided the team to inaugural WTC final in 2021, felt that had Jasprit Bumrah been there, India would have started on even keel if not as favourites.

"I would say if you look at pace attack, if Bumrah was there, I would say it was equal with an attack of Mohammed Shami, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. But that Aussie attack with Starc, Cummins, may be the match fitness will come into play," Shastri said at the ICC's 'Afternoon with Test Legends' event.

Shastri feels that even if it was two months of T20 cricket, game time does make a difference. Ponting and Akram both concurred with Shastri.

"Match fitness might come into play," Shastri reckoned.

"You need some cricket behind you and staying on the park for six hours for five days is different from bowling in nets for two hours every day," he said.