“Free to give his opinions,” Rohit reacts to Ponting's comment about Australia having Advantage in WTC 2023 Final

The WTC final between India and Australia is all set to get underway on June 7 at the Oval.

Rohit Sharma | GettyTeam India are all set to face Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 Final at the Oval in London from June 7 to 11.

On the eve of the marquee clash, India skipper Rohit Sharma addressed a press conference, where he said that every captain wants to win the title and he is "no different."

"Everyone wants to take the team forward. Everyone wants to win the title. Every captain wants to Win Championships and I am no different. The next five days are going to be important for us. I want to focus on what is in our mind," Rohit told reporters.

This is the second successive WTC final for India having played it last time only to lose to New Zealand.

"We are quite excited about the squad as well. We know what happened in the last WTC final as well. We have played here before," the Indian captain said.

"We have been playing cricket like this for years and years. That's why we talk about workload management. So, that they (players) are available for important matches. To make sure everyone is fresh. Even last year we played IPL and then we came to the UK and played one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is," he added.

Team India haven’t won an ICC trophy since 2013 but Rohit said his team is not taking any pressure and just focusing on the job at hand.

"We as a team know what we have won and when was the last time we won. There is no point thinking about it and take pressure we just want to focus on the game," said Rohit Sharma

"We will have a team briefing in the evening. A lot of guys have played in these situations. They have gone through these situations before. At some stage, they have faced pressure. We will have a good time in the middle. I had a look at the pitch so it will assist the seamers. The last time we played the reverse swing also happened on the last day," he further stated.

Ahead of the WTC final, batting legend Ricky Ponting has opined that Australia have a slight advantage over India for the game to be played at the Oval.

Reacting to Ponting’s comment, Sharma said: "Ricky Ponting is free to give his opinions. A lot of experts do and we know what is at stake for us."

Rohit Sharma will partner Shubman Gill at the top of India's batting order and the skipper is confident that the young opener will perform.

"Shubman Gill has played in these conditions before. He likes to bat and spend time in the middle and face that challenge. To be honest not really too much to tell him. It is about giving him more and more confidence."

When asked about the weather conditions, Rohit said, "The weather looks alright. We will see the conditions tomorrow and then we will take the call. We as a team know what we have won and when was the last time we won. There is no point in thinking about it and taking pressure we just want to focus on the game."

(With ANI Inputs)

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 06 Jun, 2023

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